Never Gonna Give You Up
by EAD13
Summary: After her encounter on the beach with Guzma, Alondra (aged up Moon) cannot seem to get him off her mind. He remains an enigma that no one seems to feel any need to solve. It's obvious he has mental health concerns and needs help, so why does no one in his life seem to notice? Leave it to Alondra to get to the bottom of how Guzma ended up the way he is, consequences be damned.
1. Chapter 1: Too Many Questions

**Author's Note:** This definitely bothered me in canon. I realize of course that it is a children's game primarily and the point is Pokémon, not the tormented Team Skull leader, but why is it that NOBODY ever acknowledged that Guzma's behavior showed warning signs for anxiety/depression/PTSD? And I just saw a recent chapter of Pokémon adventures where he is literally BLEEDING after causing self-harm post-loss besides the hair pulling he does in game. Basically, Moon gets to have the conversations with in-game characters I wish I could have...

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To find the REAL Guzma. That had been the promise she made with herself the day they'd battled on the beach and he decided to follow Hala. Though that desire had ebbed and flowed throughout their interactions, the way he left her solidified it beyond a doubt. Not only had he shown a gentler side (at least by his standards), but she'd seen firsthand how unsettling his family was. Combine that with the nagging questions about his past with Hala and Kukui…

She stared at the ceiling as she lay on her bed. Since the beach incident, she'd been hanging around Melemele, trying to work out exactly what she wanted. It seemed silly to make this investigation her priority when she was nearly 19 years old and searching for a career goal. She'd completed the island challenge, and while she had no regrets about doing so, she didn't want to battle every day and become the champion. So, what else should she do now that she had a killer team of Pokémon and a large family of Pokémon hanging around in the Pokepelago? She should go to school, most likely. She'd always liked learning. But being a professor like Kukui, analyzing Pokémon more than reaching their hearts…it wasn't the type of learning she wanted to do even though she understood the appeal.

She should ask Kukui for his opinion, as much as he annoyed her at times. He knew her options as well as anyone on the island, being a young guy just gone through the career process. And while she was at it, she could press him for questions of a different nature. If she played her cards right, she might even be able to make it subtle. Grunting in satisfaction with this plan, she rolled out of bed and began lacing her shoes. Quick, before she lost her nerve.

She knocked three times before finally just barging in. It sounded from the outside like he was in the middle of some VERY loud experiments with Pokémon moves again today; a couple of crashes, thuds, once even something shattering… Kukui was certainly a character. While nowhere to be seen on the ground floor, she knew enough to peer into the basement. Sure enough, he was working on analyzing the moves of a Kantonian Raticate, which was currently flashing a scary face horrific enough to make both her and Kukui temporarily freeze. She quickly shook it off. "Hey, Kukui, do you have a minute?"

"Aue, Alondra! Let me take care of this little guy and I'll be right up!" he beamed as he flashed a thumbs up.

"'Kay." She moved to make herself comfortable on his couch. Tapping her foot nervously, she analyzed the room for the second time. The first time she'd been in here was when he announced they should complete the Island Challenge. Wow, that had been a while ago now… Her eyes traveled up to the now vacant loft, a sad smile twisting the corners of her mouth. It was strange that this time there was no Lillie guiding her around as his assistant. Today was also different in that everything she saw, she wondered how Kukui had gotten here while Guzma had gone in such a different direction.

"Hey, thanks for waiting, cousin. You need a drink or anything?" Kukui interrupted, emerging from the basement stairs.

She jumped. "No, that's fine. I just needed to talk to you about something. Say, how did you get a Kantonian Raticate to work with?"

He laughed, settling in on a chair across from her. "Ever since you moved here, Alondra, there's been a whole stir about the regional differences of Pokémon. Of course, Samuel Oak certainly has been pushing it along on a physiological path. But no one was comparing their move sets! It seemed like an interesting study to pursue, so I talked with the Kantonian champions who are here visiting the Battle Tree over on Poni Island. They allowed me to study their Raticate, Ninetails, Dugtrio… They are extremely proficient at catching Pokémon as well as battling them." He laughed again. "I will always be impressed with the level of talent over there. And speaking of talented Kantonians, here you are! Say, have you thought about challenging the League again?"

She blushed. "Well, that's what I'm here to talk to you about, Professor. I'm trying to figure out what to do now that my island challenge is over. The only thing I know is that I don't want to be Alola Champion, or Elite Four, or anything related to battling."

Kukui's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "But you've got so much talent, cousin! Hau only just beat you."

"Yeah, I know." Alondra began to fidget with her hands. "Don't take it the wrong way, it's not like I lost to him on purpose. But…I was happy it was him and not me. Battling all the time doesn't make me happy. I don't want to spend my life doing that. But I don't know what I should do."

Kukui frowned thoughtfully. "Do you want to keep in the Pokémon field?"

Alondra nodded quickly. "I love my Pokémon more than just about anything. I love seeing them reach their potential."

"Breeding, perhaps?"

She stared. That…was a really good answer. And it had taken him, what, all of two seconds to come up with it? "That actually sounds like something I'd enjoy. How do you get into that field?"

"I've got connections to the Daycare Center on Akala. I could get you an apprenticeship there."

Again, so easy. She supposed it wasn't this easy for everyone, but because of her recent exploits doors were opening for her right and left. "I'd like that, Kukui. Could you?"

"Absolutely, Alondra. You're the kind of person who's gonna be successful in anything they do. I'd recommend you whole-heartedly!" Kukui punched his fist into his palm enthusiastically.

She smiled, relieved. "Thank you. It's a weight off that's been bothering me a lot lately." Alondra took a deep breath. It was time to try and get to the other point of her visit. "How did you decide to become a professor?"

A grin spread across his features. "You know I love battling. I wanted to get better and better at it, and I thought learning about moves was the way to be successful. So, I decided to study them. I went abroad and learned all I could. I started up a lab here when I returned. It was simple at first, just a small cabin where I could test moves, put a few holes in the walls… But my colleagues were interested in the results, and I applied for grants to further my research. Meanwhile, I applied what I learned in battle to keep an income."

"So you always knew what you wanted?" she wondered, feeling a bit jealous of his confidence.

"Hmmm…. Yeah, I guess I did!" the professor beamed.

"So, what about your friends that did the trials with you. Did they always know what they wanted?"

"Ah, you mean Molayne? Yeah, he knew early on that steel Pokemon were his thing. He wanted to find ways for them and humans to coexist through technology. He was always a really handy guy, could pick apart machines and put 'em back together working with fewer parts!"

She remembered meeting the ex-Trial Captain when she went to challenge Sophocles. His easy-going nature hadn't made him a slouch at all in battle, and it was clear he was satisfied with his life after being a Captain. So, that was those two, but…

"And any others?"

Kukui shook his head, confused. "Nah, why do you ask?"

"Well, I thought you and Guzma did the Trials together too." She tried to look innocent, but Kukui shifted uncomfortably. That man was easy to read.

"Ah, you know how he is. He's always loved to battle. Always had a single-minded focus on being the best battler out there." Kukui scratched the back of his head with a nervous and obviously fake smile.

"He wanted to be a Captain," she prodded, hoping for more information.

'He- yeah. But, when things didn't work out, he wasn't very flexible. It's not good to be so focused on one thing alone, you know." Kukui breathed. "Be careful you don't fall into that trap. I think you'll be fine." He started to get up. "I should go check up on Raticate. Break time's over…"

"What happened when he didn't get the job?"

Kukui froze where he stood, studying her suspiciously. "You always seem to have so many questions about him."

Alondra folded her arms defensively. "I don't understand him, and it bothers me. I want to know why he ended up on the path he did. He's getting off of it, but how do you keep him from going back?"

For the first time in as long as she'd known Kukui, his face was contorted with a severe frown. "Curiosity is one thing, but you don't want to get dragged into that mess. He's not your problem to worry about, and he'll only get you in trouble. You've got too much going for you to get wrapped up in all that. Besides, I can't help you understand him. I don't understand him. Just drop it."

Now, Alondra stood up. "He said he trained under Hala once. He also said he'd given up on Hala, like they had a falling out. Now, Hala's taking him back under his wing to train him again, and he's agreed to it willingly. I don't care about the personal details about whatever caused the rift, but I wonder why Hala hasn't given up on him yet but you have."

Now, the young professor looked shocked. "Hala…took him back?!"

She nodded resolutely. "Yeah. He watched us battle on the beach, and when we were done he said making him a respectable trainer was how he was going to make amends. And, before he left, Guzma gave me this." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the Dawnstone. Kukui's eyes widened in recognition.

"His lucky Dawnstone?"

"Yeah. You can see why I am beyond confused." She took a deep breath. "Look, for now, there's just one thing I need to know: when he didn't get the position as Captain, what happened?"

"He ran away." Kukui closed his eyes and shook his head. "Didn't like the decision, threw a fit, and ran away. Next I'd heard of him, he was leading Team Skull from over on Ula'ula Island and starting to get in trouble. They enjoyed making life difficult for trial-goers and getting in the way of the Island Challenge. His idea of getting back at the system, I guess." A sigh escaped him. "I swear, he never grew up; all he's done since is cling to his bitterness about not getting what he wanted."

Well, that made sense, to an extent. All Guzma's rants about the 'moldy old traditions of Alola' came from being at the losing end of them. Still… "You honestly think not getting the position he wanted was enough for him to run away from home and start a gang? There was NOTHING else at play?"

Kukui squinted. "What else could there be to it? It's not what a NORMAL person would do, but Guzma's hardly normal."

"No, he's not." Alondra took a deep breath and collapsed back onto the couch. "It isn't normal to have anxiety attacks and practically commit self-harm when you lose a battle. That's exactly why I'm worried."

Her declaration had Kukui flabbergasted. Slowly, as if in a trance, he returned to his chair and sat. "You think his tantrums are anxiety attacks?"

Alondra stared. "You don't? Have you never seen the expression on his face when he loses? The raw dismay and loathing? The way he yanks on his hair like he's punishing himself? NOT EVEN THE WAY HE STARTS TALKING IN THIRD PERSON TO BASH HIMSELF?!"

"He…he never used to do that…"

"Yeah, well, you were at Malie Garden that day. You were right there when he started doing all that stuff. Am I crazy for thinking something was wrong? Do a lot of trainers do that?" Alondra was doing everything in her power not to turn to accusations, but Kukui's playing dumb (or maybe just being dumb) was nearly a breaking point. Was that man honestly so wrapped up in himself that he couldn't notice something so obvious about someone he once considered a friend?

Before she could really lose it, the flames of her anger were dampened by the look of guilt written all over the professor's face. "I guess I…I thought he was being dramatic, causing a scene to get attention or something. Has he really done that more than once?"

"Every time I've defeated him, without fail. Though, thankfully, this last time on the beach wasn't quite as bad even though it had all the same traits." She paused. "And Kukui, it's never anger at me for beating him. That's what makes it even stranger. He tells me I did a good job, gives me the money, no questions asked. And giving me that Dawnstone…it's clear he's not holding anything against me." _I dare say he might actually respect me, she added internally._

It was apparently Kukui found that statement hard to believe. "He's against the world! And you are serious that he's never threatened you?"

"Well, he's told me he's going to beat me down the next time or whatever, but I don't think it's about crushing me as much as he wants to prove himself. Does that even make sense?" She rubbed her temples with a moan. "I don't even know anymore…"

"If it is like that, cousin, I'd actually feel a bit better," Kukui admitted, leaning back.

"Like knowing he's not actually a bad guy?"

He nodded somberly. "I never did like seeing how he ended up."

 _Well, it's not like you ever tried to figure out what was wrong,_ she thought. Best not to voice that though, not when she was finally getting somewhere. "That's very true, but that just means he needs help." To face what, she still needed to figure out, but now there was a nagging suspicion, a gut instinct. "Say, have you ever met his parents?"

That surprised him. "No, they never came to any of his matches back at the trainer's school. He never mentioned them either."

She thought for a moment. "I accidently found out where he lives and met his parents. His mom talks like he never did anything bad and everyone is just making up lies about him."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, it's bad. And his dad…" she shivered. "I get a bad feeling from him. He talks so hatefully about Guzma, for even little things."

"Not that I'm defending him, but don't you think it's a natural reaction when your son goes and becomes a gang leader?"

She shook her head. "I can't say anything for certain. All I know is it makes me feel uncomfortable to be there, like something's not right. That's another reason why I'm asking questions, I guess. I don't like that thought of him going back to living there."

"Look, Alondra," Kukui ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation, "I know you mean well, but you seem to be implying some pretty heavy accusations. You're going to get yourself in trouble without evidence, and it could ruin your career. If he's got an issue with his folks, that's for him to work out, not you."

Alondra outwardly nodded her consent, but she mentally rejected the request immediately. When someone was the victim, they were rarely able to ask for help. She would not, of course, accuse, but she would not give up this investigation. Not when she seemed to be the only one who cared enough to look closely.

She rose abruptly. It seemed this conversation was over. It gave her very little to go off of, but at least she'd gotten a few bits of information. "I'm sorry this got so serious. It has been eating at me though, and it was a relief to get it off my chest. Thank you for your advice, Professor."

"I will let you know when I hear back from the breeding center," was his response, a fake smile brushing the past conversation under the carpet. Of course. Ignore the issue.

"All right, I'll keep my fingers crossed!" she replied, mimicking the false up-beat attitude. "Have fun with Raticate!"

Once the door to the lab was closed, she walked quickly back in the direction of her house. Kukui had said he'd never seen Guzma act so distressed when he was young, but how observant had Kukui, then just a kid himself, been? And he was studying abroad when Guzma applied for Trial Captain, so he'd have no idea if that sparked anything. Hala would be the one with the answers, but he was currently occupied with Guzma who-knew-where. Nothing to do but wait for now. Or… She reached into her pocket and clutched the Dawnstone tightly. She might just have one more chance to get into Guzma's house while he was gone and get more answers, even if the idea scared her.


	2. Chapter 2: In Too Deep

She took a deep breath before taking the plunge and knocking on the front door. The door to Guzma's house. Surely his mom at least would recognize her from last time, right? She was counting on it, or else this was going to be very awkward.

There was a shuffle of feet on the other side before the door swung open, revealing his mother. Any worry she had of being recognized quickly vanished as her face lit up. "Oh, Guzma's friend! Alondra, right?"

"Yes, ma'am, that's me!" she beamed, ignoring the fact that it felt completely bizarre to call herself the ex-gang-leader's friend. "I was actually wondering if he was home." Lies, all of it. She knew he was gone, training with Hala, and even though it was a tiny white lie she still felt guilty telling it. Ugh, being secretive with this investigation was going to be difficult! Alondra had always been someone who told the truth as it was; she had no poker face to speak of and couldn't hide anything from anyone. There had been nothing she'd NEEDED to hide. Yet, here she was, for all intents and purposes being a stalker to get at Guzma's personal life. _For a good reason_ , she assured herself, shifting restlessly.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, he's out training with the Kahuna. Should be gone for a few weeks, the way he made it sound." Guzma's mom laughed. "He doesn't say much, certainly no descriptions, but isn't that just like a boy? Anyhow, I was so glad to hear he was going back to Hala. The man can clearly see Guzma's talent. Maybe with the right connections he can get him into the Battle Tree over on Poni. Oh, wouldn't Guzma love that! Battling every day for a living…" She shook her head, still smiling. "But anyhow, I'm afraid that doesn't help you right now, dear. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Well, it's just that Guzma lent me something of his, and I came to return it to him. Do you think I could leave it in his room for him?" Alondra held her breath. Her entire plan hinged on being allowed inside…

"I don't see why not, dear. Come on in." She stepped back, leaving the girl room to enter the house.

"Thank you, ma'am," she replied with a courteous nod. "I'll just be a moment." She hurried in the direction of his room, looking right and left to judge the situation. Much to her relief, it seemed that his dad was not at home. If anyone was going to be suspicious of her, it would be him.

Pushing the door open, she slipped inside. She couldn't close it, that would be too strange, so she made sure not to open it too far to allow herself some cover. First things first, she removed a letter from her pocket and set it on his pillow. If his mom told him she'd been there and left something, she'd better have left something. It simply said "I left this here as an excuse to come visit. Oops." Lying was not something she was keen on, and this was pretty much the truth even though it omitted quite a bit.

That being done, she quickly scanned the room. The bed was messy, unmade with the covers hanging half-off the bed from the last time he'd slept in it. There was a desk with a computer, though she imagined he now had his laptop that he'd brought on his trip with him. Seems he had one back in Po Town… Quick, what else was there? The clock was ticking before his mom got suspicious.

There. Near the window. A line up of trophies. Bronze and silver. That, she imagined, would have angered him. Or did he earn them at a time before he was so obsessed with winning? There was no time to read them all, so she whipped out her phone and snapped some pictures of the plaques. She could study them at her leisure. Then, having wasted enough time, she exited the room.

Guzma's mom was putting away dishes in the kitchen, so she had an extra moment to scan the house. The pictures she had seen already, but she couldn't help but stare at them again. Seeing him so happy was like seeing a whole different person. Unconsciously, she picked it up. He was what, like 11 in the picture? He had his challenge amulet clutched in his fist, but no Z bracelet or anything to mark his victories along the trials. It must have been the day he started out.

"I love that picture of him."

His mom's voice startled her out of her contemplation. "Yeah, he's not exactly the smiling type. That wouldn't be cool, you know? This makes me happy."

"Mmm, you're right. He really doesn't smile like that anymore. I wish I knew how to get him back to the way he was back then."

She swallowed, gathering her courage. "What do you think changed? I've only ever known him with that frown plastered on his face." You know, besides being a guy running a gang of Pokémon thieves and helping nearly cause an invasion of Ultra Beasts. Because that woman didn't believe he did any of that.

This was a question she wasn't sure would yield good answers. His mom seemed to make up whatever convenient truths would keep life fine and normal. The woman sighed heavily, hinting at something honest, something wrong. "Too much battling. I know it was his passion, but he has always been so serious about it. You'd think something he loves so much would bring him enjoyment, but he has this deep focus on being the best that I don't think he allows himself to. That and…" She paused, as if deciding whether she should continue. Alondra put on her best innocent face, hoping she looked like someone who could be trusted. "Maybe his father shouldn't have pushed so hard. As a parent, you want them to be the best, but…well, I guess hindsight is 20-20 after all."

That WAS a good bit of information: Guzma's father had been the driving force for his need to win. She remembered what Kukui had said when Guzma's dad was brought into question: didn't it make sense for him to be mad at his son after what he did? But this revelation brought into the picture the fact that it wasn't such a recent development… All those comments about things being wrong with himself. Taken with his father's sour attitude towards his son which may have been a constant in his life, the man could have potentially been the one introducing those phrases into his vocabulary. Maybe. This was just conjecture at this point.  
She was so deep in thought that it took a while for her to realize the woman had gone silent. Alondra instantly felt bad, seeing the melancholy on her face. She'd brought it up, after all, and the woman had been so kind… It was only fair to reveal part of herself in exchange. "Well, that's how parents are, I guess. My dad pushed too, though he was pushing me AWAY from Pokémon. He believed it was for the best, that it was protecting me. Yeah, it caused me a lot of embarrassment, but I've thought about it, and I don't hold it against him."

"So that's why you were a late bloomer on the island challenge?"

"Yeah. He…passed away and we moved here to help us move on. That's when I was able to get started. My mom didn't agree with my dad about it and thought I should go my own path."

"Hmm, I see. It clearly did not ruin you, did it?" She seemed to brighten, as if the thought of Alondra getting past her dad's strict demands meant some kind of hope for Guzma.

"Anyhow, I love that Wimpod is right there with him," she changed the subject. "Not surprising at all! Those two are inseparable." Alondra tapped on the image where Wimpod sat perched on his shoulder. "It was his first Pokémon, right?"

His mom laughed. "It was. It shocked everyone, being that those critters are the most skittish things. What patience it must have taken to befriend one! Surprising, considering what a hot-headed boy he always was. None of us imagined he'd take Wimpod as his starting Pokémon."

"Did he always love bugs?"

"You know, he did. Strange, when you think about it. He was always so serious about winning, but he adopted some of the most fragile Pokémon, ones most trainers would never invest the time in." His mom looked thoughtful, but with a hint of pride. "I guess when you think of it that way, he couldn't have been concerned only with winning, right?"

Alondra hadn't considered this before, having always been pushed to her limits against him in battle, but his mom brought up a valid point. Before Masquerain was a death-dealing aerial attacker, it had been a flimsy-looking water spider that no one would have feared, much less taken seriously. Venomous and nimble Ariados had been a tiny Spinarak, common all over Melemele Island but typically only captured to complete a Pokedex and left forgotten in the storage boxes. And of course mighty Golisopod, the pinnacle of Guzma's team, had been that timid Wimpod that preferred to run rather than fight. Guzma had taken them all as they were and raised them into the powerful Pokémon they were now, and that likely took no small deal of patience and care. For a big bad gang leader, that didn't make any sense.

"Well, I can assure you, ma'am, those bugs are definitely anything but fragile now!" Alondra grinned, scratching her head. "He's about the hardest trainer to beat, and I've battled my fair share. And I can tell when they fight, they are unwaveringly loyal to him. That's maybe why he isn't just a good trainer, but a great one. I have a lot of respect for him there." And that was the truth. Even when he'd acted like a total jerk, even a bit psychotic, she'd marveled at his command of his Pokémon, which was never one of fear. She'd respected him as a trainer even if not as a person.

The compliment of her son made his mom fairly glow. "I'm glad to hear that. He's worked so hard to be a great trainer. Hearing him get some recognition…have you ever told him?"

The grin disappeared from Alondra's face. "Well, no…" Up to this point, it would be bizarre to praise her enemy. That and… "I feel like he wouldn't listen to me or take me seriously at all. When he thinks he's not doing well enough, he doesn't believe what anyone else says."

The glow likewise disappeared from the woman's face. "I understand. I see it too. But please, you have to tell him, at least try. He needs to hear it," she pleaded, expression grave. "He may act like the words don't reach him, but I think deep down they will have an effect."

"I will. I promise." She spoke without really thinking, something easier said than done. But Alondra was quickly realizing it was what she wanted, not just what his mom wanted.

"Thank you, dear. For being his friend. And for stopping by." A small smile returned to her face. "I appreciate it, and I truly feel he does even if he won't say it. Please believe that."

Could she believe that? That Guzma actually cared about her besides as an opponent to crush, one who had embarrassed him time and time again by defeating him in front of his underlings and boss? Her hand unconsciously found its way into her pocket, grazing across the cool, smooth surface of the dawn stone and then clutching it tightly. Maybe it was crazy, but maybe, just maybe… She swallowed. "No, thank you for your time, ma'am. I appreciate it. I should be going."

"Of course, I've kept you long enough. I hope to see you again soon." Guzma's mom stepped back and began leading her to the door. As she walked, Alondra scanned the living room one more time for any final hints, especially now that his dad was out of the house. She'd missed it so many times before, and almost missed it again this time, but she finally noticed a bag of golf clubs in the corner. That wasn't so unusual in and of itself, but these clubs were severely bent, damaged. One couldn't possibly play golf with them in this condition. Her breath hitched, flashing back to that afternoon in the Po Town mansion. The shards of smashed bottles. The gouges in the arms of his chair. The way he slammed the door so hard in his anger that everything rattled. Had it started here?

"Say, I see some golf clubs," Alondra ventured weakly, standing in the doorway. "Does Guzma golf?"

"Oh heavens no. He could never sit still long enough for that sport! The only one who's ever touched those golf clubs is his father." The woman's words hung in the air like a miasma even though they were outwardly very innocent. The implications were there and both knew it. The condition of the golf clubs was not Guzma's doing, but his father's. And only a fit of rage would have left them in that condition…

She was so taken aback she did not hear Guzma's father approach from behind. "It's none of your damn business!" he growled, causing Alondra to jump. Eyes wide, she scooted to the side, allowing the large, balding man entrance. He scrutinized her suspiciously through cold gray eyes. "If it isn't Guzma's…'friend'…"

"Heh, yes sir. I just came to drop something off for him. Just on my way, in fact," Alondra babbled. This man made her stomach form knots just being in his presence. Like warning bells all over. Why?

"Good. The brat isn't home, so you haven't got any business here." His tone was forceful, clearly making no attempts to be polite.

Guzma's mom fidgeted with her hands anxiously. "Now dear, this sweet girl just came for a visit…"

"And is now leaving." His voice held authority as he declared his decision, and when Guzma's mother wilted, she knew that authority was never something that was questioned in this household.

"O-of course. I'll be on my way. Have a good afternoon then." With an obviously fake smile, Alondra slipped past the man and out the door hurriedly. She never looked back, and once she was off the porch her pace quickened until she was flying down Route 2.

Her body trembled. He called Guzma names again. He was aggressively defensive about his home. He wouldn't let his wife have a say. Everything about that man made her skin crawl, and she knew she would never be able to go back to that house alone like this again. In the past, he'd been indifferent at best. But now, she was certain he'd picked up on her prying, and would be nothing but hostile towards her. He'd made that pretty clear. She was scared of him. And if he'd been holding one of those golf clubs…

Suddenly, she stopped, panting and out of breath in more ways than one. So many thoughts spun in her head. 'Guzma, what's wrong with you?' Him yanking on his own hair as if to inflict pain upon himself. Shards of glass shining in the dim light of his mansion. The crazed look on his face when he thought about using Ultrabeasts to crush her. Being so sure he'd hurt her after she'd backed him into a corner in Po Town, but being shocked when he hadn't harmed her. Trying to picture a golf club in his hand but being unable to because of the Wimpod she imagined on his shoulder. Imagining the golf club in his father's hand and having no problem doing so. It was all too much.

She bit her lip as she fought back tears, moving off the main path to hide in the trees. When she was certain she was alone, she sank to the ground against the trunk of the nearest tree and buried her face in her arms as they rested on her knees. Whatever she'd gotten herself into, she was in way over her head.


	3. Chapter 3: Motive

**Author's Note:** So seriously, what was going on on Ula'Ula island? Molayne had just picked Sophocles as his successor in the game, but he is the same age as Kukui, which does not follow the Trial Captain age limit rule. All the issues surrounding the prior kahuna, Po Town, and the falling out with the Tapu also interest me and I see them getting touched on in future chapters. It affects our boy, after all.

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There was no stopping her, not even after her awkward visit to Guzma's house the day before. It seemed the more Alondra learned, the more questions she had, and the more she wanted to solve the puzzle. That and…if she were being honest with herself, Guzma intrigued her. She'd used to think he was a straight-up punk, no more, no less. With each fragment of his history revealed, he grew more complex, and it seemed that glimmer of goodness in him she saw on the beachfront could actually be the real deal. She wanted to believe it was.

Earlier that morning in the privacy of her room, she'd pulled up records of past Melemele battle tournaments on the internet. Alondra had taken the time to analyze the dates and names of the tournaments from her photos of Guzma's trophies, hoping it would give her some kind of information. The information from dates was easy to decipher: Guzma had been competing in the bulk of the tournaments between the ages of 13 and 16. He'd have finished his island challenge by then, and why he stopped at 16 was anyone's guess. Could that have been when he tried for Trial Captain and didn't make it? That would make an important question to ask as she tried to fill in the blanks. All the tournaments were held at the Trainer's School in Hau'oli, so logic would dictate he had returned home to his family during that time.

As interesting as it was for putting together a timeline, the data she found on the contestants was far more interesting. The same names kept coming up in the top finishers, and a few were names she recognized. Usually, Kukui was the one taking first place, with Guzma in second, or on occasion third. Kukui's name stopped appearing when he was 15. His leave to Kanto? She could just imagine how much losing to Kukui all the time would eat at him, envision the way he probably stewed with the anger bubbling under the surface. The professor had said he never noticed any fits at this point, but maybe they were starting to manifest to a smaller degree and escalated by the time he'd left? Anyhow, unless he'd evolved his bugs and brought them to high enough levels where they'd have learned a variety of moves, it really wouldn't be a surprise if he lost to his friend.

It was another name she recognized that sparked an idea for a new source of information: Molayne. She remembered Kukui mentioning how he had been another companion on their island challenge, and was therefore in the same age ballpark. According to the records, he and Guzma often traded spots between second and third place. Once Kukui was gone, he seemed to have grown as a trainer and took over his spot as the number one despite how even it had been between him and Guzma before. That would have REALLY irked him. Still, if Molayne had been around even when Kukui had left, then he'd know more about those years right before he ran off.

Pondering just what she'd ask, she absentmindedly began packing her backpack. If anyone asked, she was going on a training jaunt…

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Alondra inhaled the thin air deeply, trying to fill her lungs with oxygen. How could these islands manage to have such tall mountains? It was crisp and clean, at least. Turning her head, she observed the bustle of traffic between the busses, the Pokémon Center, and the laboratory. This wasn't just a trial site, after all, but a working observatory. If Molayne was anywhere, he was here coaching his cousin Sophocles, or helping run experiments with his steel-type Pokémon. As she stood contemplating where to start, the answer called out to her.

"Hey, Alondra, long time no see!" She quickly realized the voice belonged to Sophocles himself, who approached her with his bright yellow scarf flapping in the breeze.

"Hiya Sophocles. How have your trials been working out? Any more malfunctions?"

He shook his head. "Nah. Big Mo helped me get it down to an art now. Sometimes the power flickers a little bit, but no blackouts. It seemed like a disaster at the time, but I think you had the most interesting trial because of it!"

Alondra grinned. "I agree. It was rather suspenseful."

Sophocles suddenly looked thoughtful. "Have you been training to try Kukui's league again? You're super strong, and I can't imagine you just sitting around letting Hau keep his title."

That again. Why did everyone assume she loved battling just because she was good at it? Well, she was always rather strange… The girl shrugged. "We try to keep in form, but I'm not concerned with taking the title."

"So what have you been working on then?"

 _Playing private investigator._ "Just trying to figure out life, I guess. I talked to Kukui about figuring out what a good career path would be for me, and he's going to try and get me an internship at the Pokémon daycare. Honestly, it sounds a lot better than being the champion."

She expected the boy to roll his eyes at her career plan, or at least look at her as if she were crazy. Instead, he smiled. "Well, I'm sure you'll be the best at that. Your Pokémon love you, that's probably why you are so hard to beat." His words made Alondra recall all the times her beloved team had reacted to her commands in a split-second, avoiding a blow, or shook off status conditions so she wouldn't worry. Sometimes they'd even seemed to hit a little harder, turning to her afterwards looking for approval that she always gave freely. Those little things had given her the edge on more than one occasion.

"Well, I think we can all say the same. There isn't anyone out there who's ever made me sweat in battle that didn't have a strong bond with their team." As those words sank in, she found herself contemplating the Team Skull ex-boss again, as was the trend these days. Guzma had always pushed her to the limit, and would those words apply to him as well? Surprisingly, she thought they did. He'd always showed respect for his Pokémon, and they were always quick to obey him, working in perfect sync. Maybe that was how he managed to beat his Island Challenge and place in all those tournaments, if not for the high stats of his Pokémon, through the bond they had….

"That may be true, but not everyone has the patience to work so carefully with so many Pokémon all the time." The young trial captain's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I know I'd rather have fun putting things into practice."

"Did you always want to be a Trial Captain?"

"Honestly, I never thought about it until Big Mo approached me. I was super nervous at first, you remember how that was. But I've really enjoyed it so far, and I'm glad for the chance."

Alondra recalled the strange situation of his appointment, as well as the questions she'd always had about it but never asked. "So, Sophocles, you said your case was very unusual, the way Molayne got to select you for the position instead of the Kahunas. Was that because of the weird transition between Kahunas on this island?"

"Yeah. It used to be that all the Kahunas worked together to appoint captains across the four islands, scouting and so forth. When the Ula'ula Kahuna rebelled against the Tapu, it ruined the system. No one ended up replacing Molayne even when he reached the cut-off age. Finally, when Nanu took over, he just had Molayne pick someone. I know it isn't really fair that I got to be a Captain, but I try to deserve it." Sophocles dug his toes into the rocky ground, sighing. "I also know a lot of people want to be Captains and don't get the chance."

 _No, they don't_ , she thought silently. "Well, you're right. Nothing you can do but be the best you can, right? Hopefully things settle back down and with Nanu as Kahuna for a while now, the next transition will be easier."

Sophocles leaned over. "Can you keep a secret?" When Alondra nodded strongly, he whispered into her ear, "I don't know if that will be true. Nanu is a strong trainer and a great guy, but he hates running the show. He's super hands-off, and I don't know if he will make the effort to pick any successors for me or Acerola when we get too old." Alondra recalled the tired red eyes of the police chief, and she could definitely see where that might be the case.

"We'll see. Maybe now that he doesn't have to worry about Team Skull he'll have the time."

"You think? Just because they disbanded? What about putting Po Town back together?"

"Ah, true. That won't be an easy job."

"No, not an easy job at all! All that rain and flooding has shorted out most of the main circuits in town!" Both Sophocles and Alondra jerked around to see the tall, lanky form of Molayne scratching the back of his head. "Nanu had me check it out, but it does no good to fix the problems until the rain stops."

"Oh, good afternoon Molayne." Alondra secretly cheered. The pieces were falling right into her lap, no effort needed, it seemed.

"Hey Big Mo. Alondra here came to visit." The boy paused, thoughtfully. "Wait, was there something you actually needed?"

Well there was, but she wasn't going to describe that… "It's just…been a while. I thought maybe I could catch some Pokémon I missed the last time I was here, you know the drill."

Both trainers nodded in understanding. "You get on the Island Challenge and you just start hurrying from one trial to the next after a while."

"Hey, Molayne," she began, hoping to sound as natural as possible. "We were just talking about being Trial Captain. You know I'm not from Alola, so I don't know much about it. Sophocles had kind of a weird experience, so I was wondering how YOU got to be a trial captain."

"I was really young when you were picked," Sophocles added. "I mean, you WERE a captain for an unusually long time and all. I don't even know how you earned the job." Wow, everything was going her way today! Sophocles was helping her get what she wanted without knowing it!

"Oh, yeah, I guess you're right, Soph. I was like 16, so you'd have been, what, 7?" While Molayne smiled good-naturedly, Alondra could feel her stomach drop. 16. The age when the tournament participation stopped. She had a bad feeling about this…

"Well, back then I was doing a lot of tournaments through the Trainer's School. I placed often, especially after Kukui left to visit Kanto. That guy is the most fired-up person I've ever seen when it comes to moves!" Molayne chuckled, as if recalling his friend's antics. "Thing is, back then the Kahunas worked together to pick Trial Captains. They often used the tournaments as a way to scout the possible candidates. When a position opened up on Ula'ula, I was one of the two possible replacements."

"So did they vote on you then?" Alondra inquired, knowing full well Molayne had been finishing the top of his group that year.

"No, the other candidate had a lot of potential as well and they thought it best to have us battle in front of the Kahunas to help them reach a decision."

"And you won," Sophocles finished, echoing Alondra's thoughts.

Molayne shook his head with a small smile. "I lost. It was close, but I lost."

"But they still picked you anyways?" Shock was written all over the face of the young trial captain, and even Alondra couldn't help but stare. This was stupid, she told herself. She didn't even know if Molayne was talking about Guzma. But if it was…if that were true…

The older man shrugged weakly. "When it went to vote, Hala and Hapu's grandfather decided on me. The Ula'ula kahuna leaned towards the other guy, and Olivia was just named Kahuna and so wasn't participating in the vote. I think it came down to how we handled ourselves during the battle? Hala told me I had the right temperament for working with kids."

"The other guy must have been strong. I must know him, right?" Alondra managed weakly. "I can't imagine he'd just disappear after not making it…"

"Guzma." Molayne's shoulders sagged as he gave the name of his rival. "He wanted it so badly, worked so hard for it. When he won that battle, he was over the moon! Yeah, he probably came off as being a bit too obsessed with winning, but if you knew him… Being Captain was his dream, and they snatched it right from under him. Soph, I know you struggle with the fact that I chose you and you think you didn't earn it, but the truth is that I felt the same way when they handed the position to me."

"He told Kukui and me that he hated the moldy old traditions of Alola…" Alondra murmured, biting her lip in understanding. "He meant the Trial Captain process…"

"When they told him their answer, he was shaking with rage…" The pain etched on Molayne's face couldn't be anything but genuine as he thought back on that day, hanging his head. "He ripped the z-bracelet from his wrist and flung it off the cliff while spouting nonsense in third person. And the two kahunas who voted against him just looked at him like he was a child throwing a tantrum… He put so much pressure on himself, and that was the point when he finally broke."

"Big Mo…" Sophocles said softly, reaching out to hug his cousin. "It was nothing you did."

"Was it what I didn't do though?" he asked, mostly to himself as he unconsciously returned the gesture. "Maybe I should have turned them down right away. I could have been happy enough without it…"

"Molayne, you couldn't have known he'd react that way. Who could?" Alondra soothed, guilt eating at her for making him recall his one-time friend. She'd gotten enough information she could have pieced it together without bringing this up.

"He'd been getting weird since we finished our Island Challenge. Really aggressive in battle. Stand-offish. Never invited us over to his house or went to other people's houses. He trained so hard he'd show up covered in bruises!"

The mention of bruises brought a memory of bent golf clubs, and she shuddered. There was no proof of that, she had no business jumping to conclusions. Still, it was something important to know. "You were both kids. There can't be any guilt for how things happened." The guilt belonged on the adults who apparently couldn't see beyond their noses. As much as she had respected Hala, at the current moment she was feeling a lot more resentment.

"You know him, don't you?" Molayne sighed, straightening up. "I mean, not just know of him, but you actually know him."

"Kind of. Well, I'm trying," she admitted, running her fingers through her hair. "I've battled him enough times. I assume you know what he'd been up to."

"Yeah," Molayne responded glumly. "His idea of sticking it to the system. I should be so mad at him but I just can't feel anything but pity."

"Umm, should I know what's going on?" Sophocles interjected, looking confused.

Alondra and Molayne shared a look. "Cuz, he went on to be the leader of Team Skull."

The boy's eyes widened in recognition. "Ah. That makes more sense. But they broke up, so what is he doing now? I didn't hear about anyone getting outright arrested."

"You seem to know, Alondra. I haven't heard anything since they cracked down on Aether. A lot of people are wondering. I see the hate in their eyes when they talk about him. Is he all right?" The concern Molayne expressed seemed the exact opposite of Kukui's obliviousness, and she wanted to hug him herself in gratitude.

"I found him back on Melemele. After battling him again, Hala showed up and decided he would take him back as an apprentice or something and that they'd be traveling around for a bit."

Molayne sighed in relief. "So he'll be all right."

Would he though? Did this solve all the issues that caused him to yank on his hair and smash bottles? Did Hala realize enough of what he'd missed before to help him through this? "I think so." But she wasn't really certain of her own answer.


	4. Chapter 4: The Shadow Knows

**Author's Note** : Oops, I may have gone overboard on the whole Nanu / past kahuna thing. Hopefully we still learned something about our boy in this chapter! PS The title is a reference to something my grandma always used to say, some old radio drama she listened to as a kid. Seemed to fit Nanu.

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The truth was, Alondra had already caught every single Pokémon on Mount Hokulani her first time through. Rushing her Island Challenge was never an excuse to miss out on a chance to work with and raise new Pokémon. Still, she'd told Molayne and Sophocles that was what she was here to do, so once she bid them goodbye, she headed down the mountain path into the tall grass and resolved herself to catch a second Ditto. It gave her time to think, anyhow.

She'd never expected Molayne to be so forthcoming with information. In fact, it had gotten far heavier than she could have ever guessed, certainly a very different experience than the one she'd had with Kukui. The man had noticed something going on with his friend at least, even if he hadn't acted on it, and clearly felt bad for that inaction. Maybe there was a chance Guzma and Molayne could be friends again, if Guzma would ever allow himself that much.

But Molayne's attitude aside, the information he'd provided confirmed all her suspicions when looking at the dates on trophies. It lined up with Kukui's story, and even made it clearer why the decision had hurt him so much that he would run. Gosh, to win the battle, to think you've achieved your dream, and then to have it taken from you… Would he have even gotten another chance being that he was already 16? Of course it wasn't enough to justify starting a gang and tearing things up, but what Molayne had said about the third-person talk, the distancing himself from others, the bruises… She couldn't help but feel there was more to it besides losing the position. The question was, where else could she look for answers?

Her thoughts were broken by the emergence of yet another Fearow. She sighed and shooed it away in annoyance. There weren't many more places to look from Guzma's childhood. But Molayne had opened a new path of questioning, one that centered around where he'd gone TO and not FROM. How did he end up on Ula'ula? Was it a coincidence that the one Kahuna who'd approved of him was from that island? Had he wanted to fight the Tapu alongside this person as a way of getting back at tradition? Well, she was here anyhow. Maybe there was someone in Po Town who had known him through Team Skull for a while. Someone like…Plumeria.

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The doors to Po Town were no longer locked shut, but thrown open wide. Team Skull was disbanded after all, they no longer had a claim on the place. When she stepped inside the fortress city, she was struck by a feeling of desolation despite the rows of houses on either side of the main street. Under the cold gray sky and the never-ceasing rain, the streets were deserted. Sure, they must have done some work; the barricades that had impeded her progress towards the mansion before were no longer there. Still, it looked more abandoned then ever without the grunts posturing in the street. Her heart sank. Maybe there was no one here to ask after all…

"It's quiet, huh?"

Alondra jumped, completely startled by the sudden presence of the island's kahuna stalking up behind her like his favorite Persian. Pretending her heart was not racing from the surprise, she sighed. "They're all gone?"

"No, not all. Some of 'em haven't got anywhere else to go, after all, so I let them stay. In this weather, they need a roof over their heads at least. That's about all they have here though, so I hope those kids get a plan put together." Nanu frowned in annoyance, but she knew from experience he was more annoyed at the situation than at the kids themselves.

"What's the plan for this place, then? And for them? It can't be easy to figure out, but it's been three months since all that Aether Foundation stuff blew up. I take it you're not throwing them in jail?"

Nanu sighed wearily. "So full of questions…my favorite." He paused. "No, these kids aren't hardened criminals. Jail time would only make things worse, not better. The ones that left either had to retry the Trials as a sort of character improvement plan, or head home to their families and submit weekly reports on their activities. The ones that didn't have either option will stay here and work community service to clean the place up." The man glared up at the sky. "Which would be easier if it would ever stop raining, but apparently even the kahuna can't sway the Tapu when it's got a grudge."

Seeing him look so tired and defeated, Alondra felt sorry for the grizzled police veteran. All of this had been thrust onto his shoulders, after all; it wasn't like he'd asked for any of it. "I thought for sure once all this business got sorted out the Tapu would be satisfied. I just don't know what else it could demand…"

Nanu snorted. "If I ever run into my predecessor I will personally taser him as a form of stress relief therapy. He made such a mess."

They stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment. Or, perhaps it was only uncomfortable for Alondra, as Nanu seemed unperturbed. She tried again. "Well, that's all for the grunts, but what about the leaders of Team Skull?"

"You already know what happened to Guzma." Point blank, Nanu threw it back in her face. She blushed in embarrassment. Her usual tricks apparently did not work on him. "We'll see if Hala's solution will be enough when they get back. As for his second in command, she gave me quite the thrashing the other day." Alondra's eyes widened in shock. He didn't look hurt… Seeing her expression, he chuckled. "In battle. The girl's got a lot of talent. Not sure if she didn't get much experience when she was younger or just had bad luck, but she's the real deal. Probably has beaten five of her seven trials by now."

Ah, so Plumeria was not here. Though it was disappointing news, Alondra was glad that the intense and protective young woman was finding her calling. It was easy to imagine her being a powerful trainer in her own right, and after seeing how she cared for her grunt 'siblings', it was hard to hold Team Skull against her. Thankfully Nanu saw it the way she did.

"So, what are you doing here, exactly?" Nanu, it seemed, would be doing his fair share of the interrogation. Uff, running into him hadn't been a part of the plan at all!

"Well, I was actually looking for Plumeria. I had a question for her, but I see I won't be finding her here. Plus, I was on the island anyway on other business and it seemed easy enough to drop by," Alondra answered casually.

Nanu's eyes narrowed, though it wasn't necessarily in suspicion. "A question for Plumeria, huh? You might catch her back on Melemele. She'll be waiting there to beat Hala once he's returned. Anything I can help with?" Man, he knew there was something going on. He didn't get to be the head of the Ula'ula police force for nothing!

"Well…" Alondra looked around at the dreary city, still shocked by how lifeless it appeared. Her eyes rested on the mansion, the heart of Team Skull and of the city. Perhaps Guzma had left some clue in his room? "Is the mansion still open?"

The request seemed to surprise even Nanu. He grunted in affirmation, studying her carefully.

"I want to see if something is still there that I saw the last time. You can follow if you want," she offered, hoping to ease his suspicions.

Nanu simply shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do today. I'd be interested in seeing what you find so intriguing." Pushing past her, he led her forward in the direction of the towering building.

"Did the former kahuna live here?" she wondered aloud, staring up at the imposing façade.

Again, the kahuna responded with a simple grunt. Never was a man for many words.

"Such a huge place for one man. Even Hala's lodge is more modest than this. The last kahuna must have been a very rich man."

"Yes, well, there was a reason he wanted to build the Thrifty Megamart even against the wishes of the Tapu." If she didn't know Nanu as well as she did, she'd have missed the hint of bitterness in his tone. "Wealth and power meant a lot to him. Tapu Bulu has always been known as the most attracted to power, and I guess that backfired when he picked that man to be his kahuna. They just ended up in a power struggle that got everyone else sucked in."

"That must have been difficult to deal with as the police chief," Alondra said, unsure of how the quirky man would deal with sympathy.

"Damn right. Can't just arrest the kahuna for being an idiot." Nanu stopped in front of the mansion's doors. "When he knew he was fighting a losing battle, he took off for Kalos. Probably retired fat and lazy and left all the shit he caused to the people back here. Disgusting, that anyone can have enough money to just abandon an entire city, much less a mansion of this scale." Alondra knew Nanu lived in his police station with the barest of necessities and a small army of Meowth. No wonder he felt disgusted with his predecessor.

"Do you ever think about moving in here being that you are the Kahuna?"

Nanu didn't answer at first, pushing the door open with an ominous creak. "No. My job is and always has been to be the police chief. I cannot do my job hiding in a mansion in a crumbling town."

"Surely people would provide the money to fix the place up! I mean, the Kahuna has to live somehow!"

"Kahunas usually get by from their battle winnings and donations of supplies from the local towns. They don't make enough money to repair an entire city. I will say, because Aether nearly ripped the world apart, they are providing a substantial sum towards the rebuilding of Po Town. But even if they get it fixed up, I would never live here. It's not my style." No, it really wasn't when she thought about it. Nanu hated attention, excess, and anything similar. "So what exactly did you want to look at?" he changed the subject.

"Upper floor east wing, back bedroom," she replied quickly.

"Guzma's old room."

She was grateful for the dark that hid her embarrassed expression. Unless those red eyes could see in the dark… Somehow, where Nanu was concerned, the thought didn't surprise her. "Right. Still don't know why they left that obnoxious chandelier in the middle of the stairway, so I guess we'll be taking the long route." A grunt, followed by a change in direction.

Once they'd completed the obstacle course to his room, Nanu's hand rested on the doorknob. "This may interest you or it may not, but the grunts haven't set foot in here since he disbanded Team Skull and left. Not sure if there is some kind of freaky reverence for the guy or what. Guzma hasn't returned since then either."

Well, at least that would mean nothing was tampered with. Or it could mean Guzma took everything with him when he'd left. Only one way to find out. The door creaked open, and Nanu flipped on the lights. One of the only places in town that still had electricity, they flickered weakly for a moment before stabilizing.

Nothing had changed since the last time she'd been here. Well, the laptop was gone, but that was about it. The bed was still askew from the wall and unmade. The throne was still positioned high on the risers. The rack was still full of empty bottles. Wordlessly, she approached to get a better look at them. Taking one in her hand, she read the label. Vodka. Worriedly, she looked up at the rest. A lot more vodka, some gin, all of it hard liquor. "Did he drink all this?"

She didn't mean it as an actual question to be answered by her companion, but Nanu replied. "Yep. Good cheap stuff he could afford, nice and strong so it would go a long way. It wasn't for social drinking, after all."

Alondra turned, wide-eyed. "How do you know that?"

Nanu raised an eyebrow. "I'm the police. I've been tailing these guys for years making sure they never did anything too horrible."

"So you know his drinking habits?"

He cleared his throat. "I've been inside the mansion. Part of the deal of not arresting them was that I do random inspections of the place. Checking for stolen goods, that sort of thing. I thought it very weird how there would never be any stolen goods or Pokémon, whether I pulled a random grunt for a search or tore apart a random house in town. They always lived like paupers, always having just enough to take care of their large numbers. But everyone knew they were stealing, so where did it all go?"

"Aether."

"Bingo. At least, as of a few years ago. It was a good plan on Lusamine's part, I'll give her that. Have these desperate kids do the dirty work, pass off the goods, and have no evidence to bust them with. She pays them just enough under the table that they can survive."

"Did they steal Pokémon before Lusamine?"

Nanu shook his head. "I can't say. I don't know when they officially joined up with her. That would be a Plumeria question, if she chooses to answer it. She doesn't have to, legally."

"Ah, I see." Alondra paused, looking back down at the bottle. "You said not for social drinking. I take that to mean he wanted the buzz it could give him."

The older man sighed. "I've seen him drunk off his ass during random inspections. Sometimes he was passed out and Plumeria would be handling things. I only have guesses, but I think it helped him calm down. Depressant and all that. Dulled the pain his demons caused him."

Roughly, she shoved the bottle back on the shelf, her stomach twisting at the thought of him drinking himself into a stupor because he was hurting so much. Her eyes roamed to the opposite side of the room where she knew the shards of glass were. "I know he could get ugly when it overwhelmed him. You remember that day I showed up here to get that Yungoos back?"

"Yep. Glad I didn't have to haul out your corpse. You certainly schooled them, right down to the man himself. He couldn't have taken that well."

"I thought he'd hurt me," she blurted, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She moved towards his throne and fingered the gouges gashed into the arms. "He was so mad his own underlings ran away. But he didn't touch me, he just stormed out. Am I crazy, Nanu, to think he wouldn't hurt anyone when he's in his right mind? Sometimes it's like seeing two different people and I don't know how to reconcile that."

The Kahuna was no expert on making people feel better, and he never pretended he was. As the girl before him sniffled, he heaved a sigh. "You should know I wouldn't have let you go in there if I thought there was any possibility of him harming you in any way. He doesn't know how to deal with his frustration and anger and he likes to take it out on the objects around him, but the bottom line is that he wouldn't have the loyalty of every grunt in the organization if he had gone around beating on people when things got bad."

His words were what she needed to hear. She wasn't the only one in the world who believed he could restrain whatever violent urges he had when it came to people. The voice of suspicion was telling her he didn't want to hurt others the way he had been hurt, but she quickly dismissed it as unfounded. Nodding, she turned her attention to the corner. It was now vacant, but there used to be a chest filled with Bugonium. "So what happened to the…"

"Bugonium? I'm hanging onto it for now."

"I guess you have to try and find the owners, huh?"

"No. I know exactly where the owner is. I'm just guarding it for him until he gets back from his training."

Alondra spun around and stared in shock. "What do you mean? There's no way he owns all of these!"

"Well, at first I thought he stole them too. But, I witnessed a battle of his one day early on when I was shadowing him. Turns out, he battled trainers that came looking for the Kahuna. Back then, the Bugonium was given to initial trainers because there was no master for it. When he'd defeat them in battle, he'd demand they hand over their Bugonium instead of prize money. Mind you, this was before the team grew to be so big, so there wasn't the financial pressure. Nobody really objected, because nobody really trained bug types closely. He earned all those z-crystals fair and square."

She thought of that chest overflowing with the green crystals, of how she'd taken one from him upon his defeat. In a way, it was his own Captain's Trial, unofficial as it was. The relief she felt at knowing he hadn't stolen something so valuable and in such large quantities was immense. Besides, it made total sense for Guzma to want to earn them by defeating his opponents; thievery may be more subtle, but Guzma always seemed to enjoy a show of his power. "Well, I guess he sure showed them just how badly a bug Pokémon can mess you up, even without the powerup."

"Indeed. I've seen him work. If he had a Z-ring, he'd REALLY be destruction in human form."

The Z-ring. Remembering how he'd flung it over the side of the cliff in his rage brought a fresh wave of pain. "All that Bugonium and he could never even use it."

"Yes, that is one thing I don't understand. I know he passed his trials, so he should have one. Maybe he just doesn't want to use it because it reminds him of things he'd rather forget." Alondra nearly corrected him before stopping herself; Nanu didn't need to know she was piecing together the whole story.

"Nanu, do you think Hala will be able to help him?"

"Hala has known Guzma a long time, and I think he feels guilty for the way things played out. All I can say is that he'll do everything he can to get him on track. The rest is up to Guzma. You've seen him last. Do you think he's capable of change?"

Always turning the tables on her! How had he known? She closed her eyes and tried to picture the way he stared off into the horizon that day on the beach. Reaching into her pocket, she squeezed the Dawnstone. "Yes." And this time, she was certain of her answer.


	5. Chapter 5: The Waiting Game Pays Off

She'd reached the point where there was little else to do but wait. She was waiting for Kukui to get back to her about the internship, as he was still trying to juggle some things with the Pokémon League. And she was waiting for Hala's training mission with Guzma to come to a close so she could speak to the elderly man. Every day, she took a jog up to Iki Town hoping to catch a glimpse of Plumeria, who was her only other lead, and on that front she was waiting as well. She wouldn't go far from home in case she missed the girl when she came for her battle with the kahuna. All of that left her hanging around uselessly.

Her mother by this point was not unaware of the strange behavior. This particular afternoon, her daughter had remained in her room for hours. She finally could stand it no more and knocked on the bedroom door. "Alondra sweetie, can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure."

The door opened, and her mother entered with her arms folded across her chest. "Alondra, is everything all right?"

Alondra, who was idly scrolling down a web page paused her actions to look at her mother, expression puzzled. "What are you talking about? Everything is fine."

"You've been hanging out around the house a lot lately, especially this last week. It's not like you."

"What do you mean? It's like how I used to be." She shrugged and continued scrolling through cute Pokémon pictures.

"That's just it, dear. You became like a whole new person when you arrived here and started the Island Challenge. For a whole year I rarely ever saw you, you were out having adventures. It seems strange that you've returned." When this got no response, she approached her daughter from behind and smoothed the stray strands of hair into place. "It feels like you've lost whatever purpose you had, and it does worry me."

Alondra sighed, again removing her hand from the mouse. She couldn't tell her mother she was hanging around trying to catch Plumeria because this was the only sure way to find her according to Nanu. Then again, since when was trying to interview Plumeria her life's only purpose? Honestly, why was figuring out Guzma her life's newest purpose? Sure, it was probably important to some degree given recent events, but the single-minded focus she'd been devoting to this task was unusual at best. What had she been doing lately for herself and her own ambitions? She chewed the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. "I just don't know where I'm going, mom. Now that the Trials are done, I'm…lost." Her voice was quiet and her shoulders slumped. "I'm 18 and a half and I just don't know what I should do with my life."

Her mother's hands moved down to massage her shoulders. "You had talked to Kukui, right?"

"Yeah. I'm just waiting now for him to come back with an answer. I don't know what to do until then." Besides gather information about Guzma.

"Are you excited about the apprenticeship?"

"Of course." There was silence for a moment, as if both were trying to decide how true that answer was. Alondra was the first to break. "I mean, I think so. As much as I've ever been passionate about something I guess. I really do love Pokémon. It seems like a logical thing to do."

"Ah, the logical thing. And what does your heart tell you?"

"Moooom," the girl groaned, leaning back in her chair. "Don't get all sappy! My heart hasn't told me much of anything as long as I can remember. I'm not normal! I don't get crazy about anything. This is the best I can do."

"I know dear, I know." The hands stopped their motions, and she could suddenly feel the weight of her mother's chin resting on her head. "I still get this nagging feeling, like if we'd just let you leave home with all your friends back when you were 11, maybe things wouldn't be like this. Maybe you'd have discovered your true passion…"

Alondra shifted, causing her mother to lift her head, and she swiveled in her chair so she could look at her. "I don't think that would have changed how I am, mom. I got the chance to do and see all kinds of amazing things here in Alola. If I couldn't find that one special thing that makes me super pumped, it just can't happen for me."

There was silence for a moment. "It's still out there, I know it. But you won't find it by sticking around here. Do me a favor, at least go somewhere besides Iki Town while you wait for Kukui to get back to you? I'm glad you and Carlos enjoy going for those morning jogs, but you need to vary it up a bit, get yourself out of this funk. Is there anything I can do?"

Alondra thought. "You and me and Toño hitting up the Hau'oli Beachfront, then getting some malasadas for everyone. Can we?"

Her mother smiled warmly. "That's an easy enough request. You've got yourself a date."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

It wasn't always easy, but at her mother's request, Alondra dragged herself to the far corners of the island after her morning jogs for the next three days. Sometimes she battled wild Pokémon to keep her team competitive. Other times she just snapped pictures of the scenery and wildlife while her companions frolicked. She had gotten so into her digging that she had neglected her Pokémon, a fact that alarmed and embarrassed her. And why had she, given how much they lifted her spirits? As she watched them play, she wondered if she would get this same feeling from caring for other people's Pokémon. Surely she would, right? Or could they ever develop the kind of bond she cherished with hers when they belonged to someone else? The doubts hung around in the back of her mind, but it wasn't as if she had any better ideas for a career, so what right did she have to question?

At any rate, time seemed to move a bit faster. Finally, as if a reward for doing as her mother suggested, there came the day a week later when Plumeria finally arrived. Alondra had done her morning jog as usual, only to find the tall, trim girl tapping her foot outside Hala's door impatiently, sending her long pink and golden pigtails bouncing under her new bandana.

While Guzma had simply slapped a red 'x' over the logo on his jacket and called it better, Plumeria had actually changed up her appearance quite a bit. Her pants were no longer the black and white of team skull, but a washed-out purple with deep pink zig-zags. It reminded Alondra of her prized Salazzle… Her wristband had been replaced with a classy-looking watch, and the chain had disappeared from around her neck. When she heard the girl approach, Plumeria spun around, revealing that the tattoo which had previously covered her stomach was no longer there. It seemed no one in Team Skull had gotten permanent tattoos! Of course, different as she appeared, the look of challenge on her face was the same as it had always been.

"Hey, what do you want?" she frowned, placing a hand on her hip.

Alondra was not prepared for such an attitude. She held up her hands defensively. "Woah, hey, I was just going to tell you that Hala's not back yet. You might be waiting there a while."

An eyebrow shot up. "Not back yet? Where'd the old man go? He's the last thing standing between me and the League!"

So, she didn't know about Guzma. Well, if she'd been traveling around, she wouldn't have had time to check up on him after all. "Hala went off with Guzma for some training. They've been gone nearly two weeks now, and no one knows how long they will be."

"Training with…Guzma?" Her voice softened, and the hand fell to her side. "Is that what he's been up to? I haven't heard from him since he disbanded the team. I've been getting worried that he was in some kind of trouble or got himself arrested or something." It was obvious she was as loyal as any in the organization to its boss, the expression on her face as she talked about him made that clear. But the extent to which she cared for him was still a mystery to Alondra. Surely if there was something between them he wouldn't have taken off like that, right?

"Well, I don't know how long it's been since he broke up Team Skull, but when I stumbled across him he was back at home. Right after that Hala had a talk with him and they left."

"Guzma was back at home? Shit, he must have been desperate," Plumeria scowled. "He'd probably prefer jail!"

There it was, someone else thought the home situation was unhealthy. She decided to try and pursue it. "He doesn't get along with his folks?"

"That's none of your business." Plumeria's yellow eyes flashed a warning as she drew herself to full height. She really did look like her queen Salazzle when agitated…

But Alondra was not backing down. Not now, not after everything. "I disagree. You guys kind of made it my business when you asked me to get him back from Ultraspace. I found him broken and afraid, and I'm supposed to be okay just brushing that off when it seems so out of character?"

The young woman sighed heavily, rubbing her forehead. "Let me rephrase that. I get why you care. In fact, I'm glad someone does, for his sake. But you're not his friend, you're just some chick that he likes to battle because you push him. He wouldn't trust you with personal crap like that, so why should I?"

Wordlessly, Alondra reached into her pocket where the Dawnstone had resided since the day he'd pressed it into her hands on the beach. She pulled out the shiny rock, holding it out for Plumeria to see. The sharp intake of air and annoyed look on Plumeria's face was enough to know this meant something to her. "Where'd you get that?"

"He gave it to me after our last battle, right before he left with Hala. I don't know why, I don't think I did anything special to deserve his lucky charm, but here it is. Maybe I am delusional, but I can't help but feel there was something he saw in me besides just someone to beat down."

"Guzma…" the young woman growled, her eyebrows furrowing in anger.

"Ummm, is something wrong?" Alondra asked timidly. Plumeria was apparently a very volatile person.

"Yeah. It's…not you. I understand that. I'm just frustrated with him."

"Why?" She stopped. "Never mind, I probably shouldn't know that either, should I?"

"He never learns, that stupid moron. You remember what I said about Lusamine and why we joined up with Aether, right?"

"Yeah. She told Guzma how strong he was and it was something he was desperate to hear, so he did whatever she wanted." It had seemed crazy at the time that he could require that sort of validation given how forceful and dominant he came across, but the more she'd gotten to understand him, the more realistic the situation became.

"Guzma is easy to manipulate. He's so starved for acknowledgement, you show him one little sign and he's wrapped around your finger whether he realizes it or not. In fact, he'd deny it, that's how blind he is to it. I'd hoped he'd have learned his lesson after Lusamine and how much deep shit he got everyone into. Apparently he still can't see it if he's handing you his lucky Dawnstonejust because you had the courtesy to haul his butt out of Ultraspace. It was kind of you, and thanks for that by the way, but this does not mean you are someone he should trust. It's too fast."

"Oh. I see." She exhaled. "It makes sense, especially after how he was turned down as trial captain when he was younger, and with how his dad treats him. Of course he'd want someone to care even if they have ulterior motives."

"Where'd you hear all that?" she demanded.

"Well, Molayne was telling me about how he got to be trial captain, and that involved Guzma. And I'd been to his house and met his dad, who gives me some seriously bad vibes."

"Hmph. So you just happen to be good at fitting things together."

"I know you are looking out for him, but I'm not Lusamine. I don't want to hurt him or use him. I want to help him," Alondra continued, urgently.

Plumeria gave a fixed stare. "I've been watching you since you started interfering with our guys. You've never liked getting involved in trouble, but you always step in to help when people really need it. I don't think you would ever hurt him on purpose."

"On purpose?"

"I think you might hurt him on accident, and that it would be unavoidable just because of who you are."

Her face fell, and her shoulders slumped. "So you think I should stay away."

Plumeria thought for a moment. "Don't stay away. That would hurt him worse now. Just…don't get too close either."

The ex-admin was protective to the max. All this talk about keeping him from getting hurt… She just had to know. She summoned courage she didn't even know she possessed to finally ask. "Are you and Guzma…I mean, is there something between you, or…"

Plumeria stared, and it felt like time stopped. Oh, she was going to go off on her for asking such a personal question. Alondra could just feel her throat going dry. However, much to her surprise, she started to laugh. "God no. Guz is like a brother to me. In fact, he's more like family than my actual family. He's goofy and tends to do stupid shit, but he gets me. And I get him." The smile disappeared. "There's a lot there, but I've got it mostly figured out. He's told me himself what I need to know." She made the final words very pointed, as if hoping the younger girl would take a hint.

Alondra nodded quickly. "Okay. Can I ask you just one more question?" Actually, she'd had several, but it was clear Plumeria was not going to have much patience for an interview, especially after their previous exchange.

"That depends," was all Plumeria would give for an answer.

"Why Team Skull?" That was the heart of it, after all. How did these people who weren't essentially bad end up coming together to be a destructive force? Why did Guzma end up there? Why did Plumeria? They were kindred spirits after all.

"Buy me lunch and I might talk." At first, Alondra thought she was joking, but she didn't waiver.

"I'd be more than happy to. It's not like you've got anything pressing until Hala gets back, after all. And we've been nothing but enemies this whole time, it would be nice to actually have a conversation. Meet you up on Ten Karat Hill at noon?"

"Deal."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

At first it was awkward, Plumeria and Alondra sitting on the hillside while their Pokémon sniffed each other curiously. They were usually engaged in serious battle, after all. Alondra did her best to break the ice, asking her questions about her Island Challenge. No mentions of the past; that seemed nervy to do until she got to know the Plumeria of the present. For her part, Plumeria answered all the questions easily between bites of her sandwich. Then the tables were turned and Alondra got to explain what she was thinking about doing for the future. If she thought the poison-type trainer would ridicule her thoughts, she was surprised to earn admiration from her instead. Apparently she found blazing one's own path to be a worthy goal.

Finally, when all the food had disappeared, both knew it was time. "So, why Team Skull? You're a super strong trainer, very smart, a good leader that everyone looks up to… How did you end up there?" Hearing the praise, Plumeria frowned and blushed.

"Nobody joins Team Skull because it sounds like fun. They join because they are desperate, and there is nowhere else for them to belong."

"You were alone?" Alondra asked quietly, looking concerned.

Plumeria shook her head. "No, I had parents, but the money was always so tight. I heard all the time how they wished I wasn't around because of how they couldn't afford to take care of me. I couldn't go off on my island challenge because they didn't have the money to supply me. Both of 'em were supposed to get jobs at the Mega Thrifty Mart, but then the Tapu totally destroyed it. We lived in a trailer park just south of the desert, and when the town suffered damages, well…I couldn't stay and be a burden. At first I didn't know where to go, but then I heard there was a group waging war against the Tapu. He screwed my family over, so I figured, why not?"

"That wasn't Team Skull, was it?"

"Team Skull was basically the leftovers from this group. Once the Kahuna in charge bailed and took all his high-ranking people with him, he left a run-down city and a group of kids with no idea how they would fend for themselves."

"Ugh, that guy sounds like a real jerk. I can't believe he didn't get in trouble for what he did to the people of the island!" Alondra exclaimed angrily. "Nanu is still trying to clean up his mess!"

"Anyhow, I was part of Team Skull almost as long as it was a thing. Guzma was there before I was."

"Right when he didn't make trial captain?"

"I think so," she nodded. "That guy had been the only kahuna who voted in favor of him, so he of course went to join him in his rebellion. That kahuna thought highly of him, could see his talent. But again, when he knew he'd lost the fight, he left Guzma behind. You can imagine how that made him feel."

Alondra sighed. "Betrayed yet again."

"And naturally he was the strongest of those left, so he became the default leader. That suited him fine, made him feel important even if life was tough. We eked out a living in that decaying city. At first, we could survive on the battles Guzma and I fought and won, but soon we were drawing in all kinds of kids from all over Alola. All kids with nowhere else to go. We started going the route of petty thievery to keep food on the table. And three years ago…"

"Aether."

"Aether." Plumeria stated the name with considerable contempt. "I will not elaborate on how that went downhill."

"No need. I can fill in those blanks sufficiently."

"Suffice it to say, kid, you don't run to Team Skull, you run from something. Every one of those kids was running from something. And now that it's gone…" she sighed, this time a sigh filled with weariness. "I hope none of those little punks gets in over their head. But just hearing that Guzma ended up back home, I don't have a lot of hope."

Running from something. Running from home? How much would you have to hate your family to feel there were no better choices than to hole up in an abandoned city where the rain never stops and the electricity works only in three areas? When you wouldn't go back even after the kahuna who led you abandoned you? There must be something dark lurking in the shadows of that house… Plumeria constantly made it sound like the ultimate move of desperation to go back. "Hey, look at you. You've been able to make something for yourself, something you've always deserved to have. The other grunts probably look at you and feel that there is hope for them too. I heard some of them went back home, but some are staying in Po Town until they figure things out. I'd like to help."

"Of course you would," she snorted, but her expression showed no signs of malice. "Well, we'll see once Nanu gets a plan put together."

"I'll be there."

Plumeria shook her head in shock. "You can't be serious."

"It's a promise." Alondra stuck out her hand, and grudgingly, Plumeria took it.

"We'll see if you keep your promises better than everybody else."


	6. Chapter 6: Alliance

She couldn't explain why helping out in Po Town suddenly seemed like the best path for her life to take. She certainly wasn't responsible for any of it. But it had just come out of her mouth so easily during that conversation with Plumeria, and even though she promised, she felt zero regret for doing so. Was it the way all those kids were like stray animals, looking for a home? Even back when she was battling them she had always found it hard to be angry. They would hate hearing it, especially the way they worked so hard to build a tough image, but they were honestly sort of pathetic and she wanted to see them turn things around for themselves. Now, hearing Plumeria say that none of those grunts had "Run to Team Skull, they ran from something", that was just the icing on the cake.

As for Plumeria, she was stuck waiting for Hala, and after their exchange, Alondra decided she would need a place to stay. The girl invited her over for dinner, and offered her the couch in the living room. Sure, her mom was not aware of this offer, but of course she would be fine with it… As to be expected, Plumeria initially rejected the offer, looking rather uncomfortable. Alondra had to wonder how often people tried to do nice things for her, and if she knew how to respond to that kindness. With enough wheedling, she was finally able to convince her to stay for one night. She dragged her back to her house and introduced her to her mom, and Plumeria had never looked more awkward. Still, Alondra didn't let that phase her, nor did her mother. An extra place was set at the table no questions asked, and while dinner was being prepared the girls sat outside on the porch with Meowth. Plumeria had never seen a Kantonian Meowth before and was fascinated by its unique appearance.

"So, what's Kanto like?" she asked absently, batting the Meowth on the nose with a tall piece of grass to get him to play.

"Well, not nearly this hot. Or relaxed. Lots more big cities, and whole mountain ranges. The gyms are super formal, and we don't have nearly as many cool legends or stories." Alondra paused. "When I first found out we were moving away, I was so upset to leave everything behind. But now, and I'd never admit this to my mother, I guess I'm kind of happy to have had the chance. Get a fresh start. She knew all along, I think."

Meowth wrested the stalk of grass from the older girl's hands. "I'd like to see it someday, even if you think it's kinda dull. Everything seems that way when you grow up with it."

"Hey, at the rate you're growing as a trainer, you'll be able to travel wherever you want in no time!"

Plumeria stopped what she was doing and turned to look at her host skeptically. "Why are you so damn nice all the time?"

"Huh?" That question certainly came from left field!

"For real. Nobody is that nice. I'm waiting for the catch." Plumeria was actually FROWNING now, and studying her face for the slightest reaction.

She didn't know what to say. "Come on, I'm no different than most people. I mean, I haven't done or said anything that unusual."

"No, most people from your side of the tracks wouldn't be offering to help people from my side of the tracks, they'd be telling 'em how they are trash." Her eyes closed, unwilling to reveal any of the pain in her eyes.

"Do people here really?" Alondra found that hard to believe.

"Hmph, are you that blind? Tell me, during your Island Challenge, did anyone mention anything besides how they hardly need police, that everyone is happy in this frickin' corner of paradise?"

She shook her head. "They always made everything seem perfect."

"They don't see the people who are struggling, they sweep them under the rug and hide them from outsiders. And kid, that ain't just here. That's how people are. You're the weird one."

There was silence, then a heavy sigh. "I'm always the weird one, aren't I? Just once, I wish I could be normal…"

"No, you don't. Trust me, you're better than normal."

Those were words she'd never heard before. People not being able to relate, never getting close, that was her reality. No one ever said that her being different was GOOD. "You mean it?"

Plumeria scratched her head. "Well, yeah."

Alondra gazed into the sunset, clenching her hands. "It just seems to me that if you know what pain feels like, you can go one of two ways. You can be bitter about it, and try to pull other people down to where you are, or you can reach out to people because you understand what pain is. I'd rather do the latter."

There came a whistle from next to her. "Deep stuff." Of course, Plumeria was really thinking she had been a bit of both, reaching out to her fellow outcasts and lashing out against society. Alondra apparently didn't pick and choose.

The girl turned red and buried her face in her hands. "I realize I sounded just like a cheesy shonen manga there… Sorry!"

"It's all good. I get you." There was a pause as she seemed to reconsider. "Well, a bit more than I used to, I guess. Just, don't mind me being weird about this stuff. The whole 'nice' thing is not something I'm used to." She stood up, brushing off her pants as if they'd been sitting on the ground instead of the nice plank deck. "I'm gonna run to the bathroom before dinner if you don't mind."

"Right inside and to the right, first door," she called. Plumeria was about to disappear inside the house when she heard her continue. "And Plumeria…I'm serious about helping. Maybe while you're waiting for Hala to get back, you can come with me and we can see if Nanu's got a plan figured out?"

"I suppose I've got nothing better to do." She nodded before ducking inside, leaving Alondra and Meowth on the porch. She scratched the purring cat Pokémon behind the ears as she looked once more at the sea. Plumeria LIKED her weirdness? She was a prickly sort of person to be sure, but apparently it had more to do with how she'd been treated before than her actual personality. Maybe…maybe they could be friends? Alondra snorted, dropping her hand into her lap. How pathetic, hoping she could make a friend, especially at her age. Hau and Lillie were certainly nice, but they were still kids, more like younger siblings than friends. And she didn't really have anyone back in Kanto that could be called more than an acquaintance.

She'd started talking to Plumeria to get information, but she was startled to realize that Guzma hadn't crossed her mind once this afternoon. That was probably healthy… Now of course, her thoughts wandered, thinking about how the people on 'her side' had treated Team Skull. Essentially, they were considered a minor nuisance. Team Skull in the area? Don't worry, they're just a bunch of jokers not even worth my time or attention. The police hadn't made any efforts to fix things, they just brushed them off. Considering how much they'd wanted acknowledgement, that was just sad. And Guzma, the leader? He had something to prove as he led the group, but no one would even bother to pay attention to the message he was sending. Alola's elite were doing just fine; they didn't need to care about the people that were not.

"Guzma, you got swept under the rug right along with them, didn't you? They very nearly paid for that," she whispered. "I won't let you stay there. I won't let Plumeria or the others either."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

It was around noon when the Charizard landed outside the thick concrete walls of Po Town. Alondra had expected Plumeria to be a bit wary of riding the giant flying lizard, but it turned out that despite her track record, she had been given a ride pager as she worked her way through the trials like anyone else. Nanu must have pulled some strings.

Speaking of the police chief, the pair disembarked in search of him. Their first guess at his location was the station right down the road. Nothing about the weather had changed, and they slogged through the muck and cold rain, clenching their ponchos tightly around them. Plumeria, who was more accustomed to it, seemed to move faster, and when she got to the door first, she rapped sharply. "Hey, old man Nanu! You in there?"

There was a shuffling on the other side of the door, and just as Alondra reached her partner's side, the door creaked open, revealing the slouching form of the kahuna. "What, are you back to thrash me again?"

"Nah, old man, Hala's on some vacation apparently, so I've got time to kill, and Alondra and I wanted to talk to you about what comes next."

Nanu's eyebrows raised slightly. "Ambitious, aren't we? Well, come inside then. Don't let any of the Meowth get out." He stepped back, allowing passage into the dimly lit station. Though she'd seen it once before, Alondra was still taken aback by the sheer number of Meowth present in the building.

Plumeria didn't seem to be impressed, she just plopped on the hairy couch and began petting the nearest cat. "Heya Princess. How are you doing?" Then when another came along, rubbing on her shin, she reached down for that one as well. "Long time no see Lucky. Hangin' in there?"

"Plumeria, do you know all these Meowth?" Alondra gaped.

She shrugged, scowling. "Been in here before. No big deal." Well, she would have had to be in here often to tell each one of those Meowth apart and learn them by name!

"She was the administrator. Came down a lot for questioning. She's also got a good eye for Pokémon, real quick learner." Nanu took a seat on the less-comfortable wooden chair behind his desk. "The Meowth won't bite, Alondra, you CAN sit down if you wish."

"Oh, right!" She shuffled to the couch and had to pry two more Meowth from next to Plumeria to make room for herself.

"So, girls, I assume you are wondering about what becomes of Po Town now."

"Yeah. Sending us off to do the trials and shit works for some of us, but there are still kids in there that won't be able to do that and haven't got folks to go home to. They can't stay there forever squatting and living off pity handouts."

"I know, Plumeria." He groaned and rubbed his forehead as if the very thought gave him a headache. "I thought we should start trying to fix the place up. We've got the funds. But this damn rain never ends. It's hard to send out repair crews in these conditions…"

"The ones staying will be earning their stay and food by pitching in, right?" Plumeria inquired seriously. "Everybody knows us to be nothing better than scavengers, but that can't continue."

"I know that too, and it is my intention. I've at least gotten some dumpsters and had them start hauling broken furniture. I just…can't see the end game." Nanu suddenly looked twenty years older than the fifty he was. "Pathetic when your kahuna can't even figure out where this is going. I'm sorry I'm not helping."

That was not a very Nanu thing to say. Things were serious. Before Alondra could say something to reassure him, Plumeria jumped in. "Old man, you got the crappiest job in Alola. You can't work miracles, I know that. You've been doing everything you can to keep things around here from falling apart. None of us Team Skull kids expect the magical solution. We just…want a push in the right direction and we can figure things out as we go, you know?"

"Well I can certainly push you," he retorted wearily. "Wish I knew the direction."

"Hey," she pointed at him, "You've always looked out for us. We ain't dumb, Nanu. We know we could all be sitting in a jail cell right now if it wasn't for you. You tell us what you think you might possibly need, even if you ain't sure, and you'll have it, no questions. We just want…" She stopped, huffing in frustration. "We want our dignity back. You just need to give us a way to do that."

Both Nanu and Alondra stared, though naturally the kahuna was the first to recover. "This is why, when people question me, I don't feel bad telling them off. This group is Alola's own doing, and Alola needs to fix this. Or rather, fix this so that you can fix this, if that makes any sense. If we could just get the rain to stop, Po Town could be something again…"

"Umm, Nanu?" Alondra raised her hand awkwardly, hoping for a chance to speak.

He gave her a strange look. "Yes, Alondra?"

She lowered her hand. "It seems to me, if I were a Tapu, and I can't claim to know how they think seeing as I'm really new here, I would be more impressed if people just started trying to fix things up. Like, Tapu Bulu would see that we care enough to try even without a guarantee of it being worthwhile. Like, we want to make up for our mistakes and get things back to the way it was. The actions might reach him where we haven't been able to so far."

"So you suggest we just go ahead without an end game?"

"Well…yeah! I mean, money isn't the concern right now with Aether footing the bill, and you've got the labor just aching for a chance to prove themselves. Start small, like you said. Get rid of the trashed up items. Paint the walls in the houses over the graffiti. I know a lot of the work can't be done until the rain stops, but there has to be enough they could start on!"

"Yeah, what she's saying sounds good, old man. And let the people see us doing it. We won't be hanging our heads in shame, we will walk tall, take pride in our town!"

Nanu looked from one face to the other. Both looked super pumped. Ah youth, he missed having that kind of energy and enthusiasm. But, perhaps it was slightly contagious. Slightly. "Very well. I will do a walkthrough and plan some of the tasks we can start assigning. It should take about a week. Besides, I think we'll need either you or Guzma there to give them the pep talk. That would really boost morale."

"I'll give 'em a speech before we leave." Plumeria pounded her hand in her fist.

"Good idea. They'll probably want to hear all about your trials, too! That would really give them something to get excited about!" Alondra enthused, jumping to her feet and sending a Meowth flying from her lap.

Nanu just shook his head, a begrudging smile twisting the corners of his mouth. "All right then. We will be in touch."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

As the girls exited the station, Alondra turned to Plumeria. "So, you really seem to respect Nanu a lot. Does most of Team Skull feel the same way?"

"Ah, don't read too much into what I said," Plumeria responded defensively. "Yeah, the old man played his cards in a way that kept us from getting in serious trouble, especially in the end. He's still a cop though."

Alondra laughed. "You make it seem like having respect for Nanu is some kind of capital offense! It sounds like the guy has had your back more than anybody else, so it makes perfect sense."

"Yeah, well… Can't burn all our bridges, right?"

They continued along the path towards the town, Alondra not willing to push any further. Plumeria broke on her own. "Yeah, all those kids feel the same even if they play tough. Hell, Guzma would never admit it, but I know there is the tiniest flicker of respect there. That's more than he's got for most anybody else."

"Hmm. You think he'll approve of our plan?"

Plumeria thought for a while. Alondra was almost ready to give up expecting an answer when she finally provided one. "Before, I'd say absolutely. He'd want what was best for his team. But ever since Ultraspace, he hasn't been the same. I don't know if I can predict him the way he is now."

"He was not happy about having to disband the team, if that makes you feel better," Alondra offered. "Blamed me for making it fall apart."

"Bull shit." Plumeria stopped and turned to face her companion. "He has never blamed you for anything, and if he said that, he was lying through his teeth to try and work himself up to battle you. We fell apart because of Aether, what they asked us to do, because you stopped them and we had attached ourselves to them. And Guzma was the one that did whatever Lusamine wanted, taking the Team with him. It's his own fault and he knows it, but if he acknowledges it in front of someone else…" She growled in exasperation. "I worry about him. I hope Hala is setting him straight, though I still can't believe Guzma agreed to go along with him. Was that part of his punishment or something?"

"Hala phrased it that way, but in the end I definitely believe it was his own choice."

"Hmm. I guess I really can't read him like I used to." Shoulders sagging, Plumeria turned away and resumed her march to the gates of the town.

Alondra just stood there in the rain, watching her go. Hopefully it wouldn't be too much longer until they could put all these worries to rest.


	7. Chapter 7: Ya Boi is Back in Town

**Author's Note** : Sorry for the short chapter, it's definitely the calm before the storm. BTW, I had already planned on Guzma going to Kanto before I stumbled upon an excellent work on this site entitled "Guzma Beats Down the World", which details his exploits with Hala in Kanto. I'm just gonna pretend that happened like the author described, because it was too perfect. You should check it out!

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"Ah, Melemele Island, home sweet home. Isn't it great to be back, Guzma?"

The slouching young man standing next to Kahuna Hala grimaced. "It's not too late. We can stay on the boat and go back. Then we can hit up the Johto region next…"

"Nonsense my boy, I've got a job to do. You are young though. Once you get Po Town cleaned up, you are free to challenge all the leagues if you so desire. We all know you have the skill to do so. Now, let's disembark and be on our way."

"Fantastic." Guzma rolled his eyes and stuffed his fists in his pockets, dragging his heels as he followed his master off the boat and onto the docks of Hau'oli City. The faces that smiled when they saw their island's leader quickly turned sour when they saw the shadow behind him. He wanted to raise his middle finger and show them the jacket full of Kanto badges he'd acquired in the short, three-week trip they'd taken, but Hala'd probably notice that.

Suddenly, the large man paused, causing Guzma to run into him. "Hey old man, what gives? Throw out your knee or somethin'?"

"Walk next to me," he advised under his breath, moving beside his pupil. His face remained upbeat despite the warning. So, he had noticed. Could it be that old Hala was getting wiser in his old age? Guzma wanted to fight it just out of principal, but clearly this wasn't the time to make a point. He fell in step with the other man as they walked up from the docks and onto the streets.

Hala sighed. "I can't believe you refused to wear your new outfit. It looked quite dapper." Guzma knew what he meant to say: I can't believe you insisted on putting on that old Team Skull outfit.

He was met with a snort. "Nothing says Alola like black sweatpants and a hoodie."

"Or a Malasada. Are you hungry?"

He might have been, if it wasn't for the anxiety starting to form in the pit of his stomach. "Nah, I'm good."

"Well then, I imagine you'll run home and let your folks know you arrived safe and sound and quite successful?" It may have been phrased as a question, but the tone made it clearly a suggestion.

Guzma shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah yeah. They'll chew me out if I don't tell them I'm back. Then I head to Ula'ula tomorrow to meet with Nanu, right?"

"Right." Still, something about his attitude had Hala perplexed. Guzma seemed in no hurry to get home to his family. In fact, during the entirety of the trip, he hadn't seen the boy call home once, or even send a message. Were they on rocky terms after what he'd done?

"Actually, if you want, come by Iki Town once you're done, we can have our debriefing session."

"Joy." They arrived at the crossroads where Guzma would go straight and Hala would turn left.

"See you soon then, Guzma."

"Right old man. It won't be too long."

With that, they parted ways. As soon as Hala was out of the way, Guzma pulled out his phone. It was getting dark, and he cursed the fact that they couldn't have gotten in at an earlier time. Hala perhaps didn't consider it, but it made Guzma jumpy to be out alone at night given what people thought of him… Not that he'd admit that. Still, better to look like he was on the phone with someone while he walked the rest of the way home. There was someone he needed to speak to anyhow.

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"They're back!" Alondra announced excitedly, flinging open the curtains in the living room so light flooded the space. Plumeria just groaned and rolled over, pressing her face further into the couch. It had become apparent by the first day that Plumeria preferred sleeping in, whereas Alondra was a ball of nervous energy, anticipating the day she would be able to make this announcement. "You ready to take down Hala?"

"In a few hours…" the girl muttered into the cushion. Alondra refused to let that get her down. "Well, if you're going to be that way, I'm going to go on ahead and find out from Hala how things went. Maybe I'll see you up there this afternoon?" A grunt was all she got, so she left her new friend to sleep some more. The thing was, Plumeria was well aware. She'd gotten a call last night from Guzma.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

She flew up the path for the second time that morning, though certainly much faster than the first. It left her panting in front of Hala's giant lodge. Wasting no time, she knocked eagerly. She was disappointed when a random house worker opened instead of the man she'd hoped for. "Hi. Is Kahuna Hala busy?"

"Give me one moment and I can check for you. Please, come inside and wait," the middle-aged man replied gracefully. She took a seat on one of the wicker chairs and kicked her feet anxiously. Three weeks had never felt so long, and finally she would see what became of their expedition.

"Alondra!" Hala boomed, jolting her out of her thoughts.

"Kahuna Hala, you've returned!" Alondra jumped up and approached him. "I've been waiting to hear how things went. I know it probably sounds weird that I've been so worried about it but…"

"Nonsense. Ever since I saw you battle him on the beach, I knew you cared what happened to him. Come on into the study and I'll give you a run down."

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Guzma, deep in thought, had made it as far as the corner near Alondra's house when he ran into Kukui. Rather, Kukui ran into him. The man was always zipping about with so much damn energy, while Guzma seemed to trudge from place to place. There was a look of surprise on the man's face that was somewhat gratifying at least. "Guzma? When did you get back?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Hello to you too. How'd ya know I was gone in the first place?"

Kukui was not going to admit to how Alondra had informed him. "People were wondering where Hala went off to, and I heard he went out on a trip with you." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "So, how was it?"

"Kick ass," was his simple response. Wordlessly, he opened his jacket, revealing the glittering badges along the side. "Alola needs to get with the program. Gyms are where it's at. Ya beat down the strongest trainers and get signs of your victories. I like straightforward."

"You beat all eight gyms in three weeks?" Kukui stared. It had taken him nearly a year, granted he had been much younger back then.

"Hell yeah." Then, he frowned. "I wish I'd had time to take on the Elite Four. It feels like I left it incomplete. Old man had to get back though."

"Will you go back and finish?"

"I'd like to go back and never return." Guzma turned his gaze down to the dirt.

Kukui wasn't sure what to say to that. They hadn't had a real conversation in years. The Guzma before him wasn't the Guzma he grew up alongside. "You really hate it here, huh."

"Yeah. There's only one reason I got back on the boat. In all of Alola, just one."

"Your…family?"

At that response, Guzma seemed to cringe. "Hell no, not the kind you're thinking of. I'm talkin' 'bout those louts that used to be called Team Skull. I can't run off and play the star trainer knowing I've left them behind doin' hard labor for what we all did together. Not like Kahuna Akoni."

That was a much more considerate response than Kukui could have ever anticipated. Though he'd been in Kanto when Kahuna Akoni rebelled, he knew enough from talking to people that the man had left the framework for the Team Skull of the current day when he betrayed the lowest members of his group and left them for Kalos. Guzma did not seem to hold such a man in high regard. "Strange thing to say when you filled his shoes."

"You don't know shit. I can't even get mad at ya for that remark because you are so clueless." Guzma threw his hands up in exasperation. "You weren't here when things got bad, so don't talk like ya know."

A wistful expression crossed the professor's face. He remembered what Alondra had said, accusing him of not being able to see. "You were starting to drift away after the island challenge, but after I left, I came back to find someone so different."

"Yeah. But you haven't changed a bit." Guzma turned to go.

"Wait, Guzma!"

He paused. "Whadya want now?"

"Where are you going?"

"Up to see Hala. At his request."

"Can- can I walk up there with you?"

Nothing could have prepared Guzma for those words. His jaw dropped. "You for real?"

"Yeah." Kukui sighed. "I haven't talked to you in too long. Can you tell me about your trip?"

Well, if they were going to be talking about his glorious battles, that wouldn't be so bad… "I'll bite. Come on."

Together, they walked up the path to Iki Town. "So, who was the hardest gym leader to beat?"

"Definitely not the one in Saffron City. You ain't gonna BELIEVE who they replaced Sabrina with…"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Alondra seemed to glow with pride. "All eight in three weeks? I bet those gym leaders didn't know what hit them!"

"Well, to be fair, they are usually challenged by children, not by grown men. But yes, still impressive. He had to definitely work on overcoming his type disadvantages in many cases." Hala seemed to recall something, and chuckled. "As well as learn how the HM system works."

The girl grinned. "Yeah, that was a big difference moving to Alola. You just get Pokémon to do that stuff to help you instead of making them learn those ridiculous moves. I bet he got super annoyed!"

"Yes, indeed. Though, I must say, after he got a bit beat around in the first gym, he learned to hold his tongue a bit better. I think he appreciated being able to battle so many serious trainers who in turn took him seriously. I thought he would thrive in an environment like that, and I was correct."

"So, Hala," she fidgeted with her hands. "Do you think this has helped him move forward?"

"I like to think so, Alondra. But only time will tell. Maybe he thrives in that environment but cannot carry it over back to Alola where he is rooted in his habits. We'll see how well he works with Nanu from here on out."

"Where is he now? In Po Town?"

"No, I made sure he went home to report to his parents."

"Oh." There was no disguising the unease that crossed her face at his answer.

Hala squinted. "Is something wrong?"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"So yeah, I wonder how the Johto League would stack up. Have ya heard much from them?"

"Yeah. They're another region with pretty close ties to Alola. Same concept as Kanto, some unique Pokemon. I hear they've got a bug catching contest in their main park. You'd be all over that."

Guzma's eyes seemed to light up in a way Kukui hadn't seen since they were 11. "A bug catching contest? Why the hell don't we have that? Somebody needs to start one!"

"Why don't you?"

"I ain't got money to put up for prizes, genius!" Guzma retorted, climbing up the stairs to Hala's porch. He knocked on the door forcefully, the wheels still clearly turning. It was refreshing to see him like this. Kukui had honestly thought it would be impossible to regain his friendship with Guzma after all he had done and apparently all he had missed, but get him on the right train of thought and apparently some things hadn't changed. He shook his head with a grin.

"Yes? Oh, hello professor!" the housekeeper said as he opened the door. Then, he looked at Guzma and gave a nervous smile. "And Guzma. Hala is expecting you. Come inside." Guzma shook off the awkward greeting, used to it by this point. He stepped in as if he owned the place and sauntered to the back study where he knew he'd find Hala at this time of day. As children, his schedule was as predictable as clockwork, and he doubted the man had changed much since then. He was about to barge in unannounced when he heard another voice on the other side of the door. A female voice. He'd heard it before, though he suddenly found himself unable to place where. The door muffling it probably didn't help.

"He's not staying there, right? Just poking his head in to visit?"

"Correct, though I still fail to see why you seem so concerned."

"I just…worry it's not good for him to be in that environment. It sounds like he's gained so much momentum from his trip, and going back in that house would set him back. I mean, have you ever met his parents?"

"No. They never came to any of his matches at the Trainer's School. Disappointing, to be certain, but I suppose it couldn't be helped."

"Probably for the best. His dad is such a piece of work! You should hear the way he talks to him, about him. It's so hurtful! And his mom just stands there and lets him do it without saying anything. I know it's all gut feelings, but please Hala, don't let Guzma go back there on his own!"

His name. As the female voice had described the situation, he'd felt deep down it was his life being described, each detail adding to the twisting in his stomach. Matched it perfectly. And there it was. Who the hell was talking about him behind his back? The answer played at the back of his mind, a name that had come up several times in the last few days, a person he'd been trying to figure out what to do with when he'd been interrupted by Kukui earlier. Anger bubbled up inside him, anger he hadn't felt to such an extent in three weeks. Guzma flung open the door, nearly ripping it from the hinges, and came face to face with a shocked Hala and, confirming his suspicions, a horrified Alondra. Her blanching face gave away all the guilt.


	8. Chapter 8: Shattered

**Author's Note:**

I need to preface this chapter with a warning. If you become triggered by self-harm and/or attempted suicide, you need to skip this chapter. I'm debating whether it raises the rating of this story, and I hope you will let me know if you think it should. I will tag appropriately and throw a disclaimer in the synopsis.

I actually wrote this confrontation long before I wrote any of the previous chapters, and have since tweaked it. I feel really vulnerable writing it because of the kinds of themes it deals with. I certainly don't want people sending nasty messages about how it wouldn't happen like this or that I don't know how depression works (if you are one of those people, my prescription says otherwise so don't even). I tried my best to imagine what the character of Guzma as I understand him would do, nothing more or less. As an actual teacher, I try to imagine what it would be like to find out your student was abused and you didn't see the signs. What do you do when someone has a complete breakdown in front of you? Hopefully NONE of you dear readers would know from personal experience, but it happens. So please, I'll be open to discussion but no flames.

Have I freaked you out enough? Good, let's clear up that cliffhanger then.

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"You…" he said in a low, dangerous voice, trembling slightly with rage.

Hala spared Alondra the task of responding, promptly rising from his chair. "Guzma, what's got you so riled up? Calm down, boy!"

This was ignored; his focus remained on her and her alone. "You've been talking to everybody about me, haven't you?" he accused, taking a threatening step forward. There was a dangerous strain in his voice, like his ability to control himself was hanging on by a thread. "My mom was just gushing about how you two had such a nice talk when you came just to slip that note on my pillow, and the old man gave me an earful about never letting my friends show up to our house unannounced again. And who should randomly send a text but Molayne? Haven't seen him in years, and all of a sudden he 'heard' that I was back out training with Hala and wanted to catch up. I checked in with Nanu last week to make sure nobody was messing with the stuff in my room, and he admits only ONE person had been in there to check for somethin' and he made sure to keep an eye on 'em. And Plumeria? She flat out told me you'd been asking her questions! Now I catch you and the old man. Who the hell else did you interrogate about me?!"

In the heavy-hanging silence, Kukui raised his hand uncomfortably. "I told her leave it alone," he pointed out in self-defense.

Guzma's icy glare made him shudder. "And I suppose you didn't say a word!"

"Not really." He thought hard trying to recall exactly what had been said. "Okay, minimal." As if retaliating at her for Guzma's anger at him, he turned to address her. "Alondra, why didn't you listen to me?! He's right to be upset! You don't even know him and you've been digging into his personal business…"

She had been riding the line between terrified and indignant, and Kukui's last remark pushed her towards the latter. "I don't even know him? No, I don't, and that's what I was trying to fix! And the fact is, you don't know him either, do you Kukui? Heck, neither does his mother, or Molayne who traveled with him, or Nanu who kept watch over him, or even you, Hala, the one he calls his master! Plumeria's the only one out there who's got a clue!"

"Look, I know we are all upset and not thinking clearly, but you don't make those kinds of accusations unfounded," Hala rumbled, the closest to angry he had ever been. Alondra vaguely remembered the story one of the house workers had told her about Hau getting scared by his grandpa's wrath as a child, and she involuntarily shivered.

Now it was three against one, so what could she do? "You each see only your personal piece, but you never communicate and put those pieces together! You're missing the big picture!" She found the guts to look at the still-seething Guzma, whose gray eyes were now molten. Every instinct she had told her to turn away, but she refused to let him intimidate her. She'd worked too hard for that. There was no going back. "I used to think you were just a jerk who enjoyed power-tripping and stoking your ego. But that was wrong! It couldn't be further from the truth! There is so much more about you, Guzma, despite what you want us to think…"

The man towering before her felt a sudden flash of fear. Just how much did this girl know? As it always had since he was a boy, the fear fed the anger. "Doesn't matter! If I don't want it known, you haven't got the right to go prying where ya don't belong!"

"I told you, nothing was a secret. Everybody knew something, something they felt was common knowledge but wasn't. Yeah, it was nervy of me to gather those pieces, but someone had to care enough about you to do it! After all this time, shouldn't someone put 2 and 2 together?"

"You keep talking about the pieces and a big picture, but you have yet to say what you're getting at," Hala pointed out, unamused.

Alondra looked around at all the hostility in the room. "Do you really think now is the time, with everyone on edge like this? It would be better for me to just talk to Guzma alone…" Guzma was quickly getting the feeling that this would be a good idea. He couldn't predict just what she was going to say, and odds were good he didn't want the other two in the room to hear it.

"No. Alondra, you've gone too far and now you need to spit it out," Kukui growled.

"Well I'm with her!" Guzma countered. "I've already gotten so much of my privacy violated, I don't need you and Hala getting involved!"

Hala closed his eyes. "I'm with Kukui on this. Some heavy accusations have been made against us and I feel we all need to be illuminated on what it is we have 'missed' about you."

"Of course you're with Kukui!" Guzma snapped. "Isn't that always what it comes down to!"

"Guzma," Hala warned, holding his hands up to calm him.

"Fine, kid!" he spat venomously. Hala siding with Kukui had pushed him past the point of no return. "It seems my opinion doesn't matter even though this is about me, so go ahead and say what you wanna say."

And with that, the room went silent, with three pairs of expectant, hostile eyes resting on her. She looked and felt ready to vomit. Drawing a deep, shaky breath, she finally asked the question that had been plaguing her for weeks, drawing on all her strength to do so. "Guzma. When you were young…no, that's not right. Did you ever… I mean…"

"Hmph, haven't got the guts to say it, only to sneak around behind my back," he sneered. That was enough to push the momentum forward.

"DID YOUR DAD EVER HURT YOU?"

The words hung heavily in the air, reverberating in each person present. Alondra was out of breath, panting nervously from her bold question, but otherwise the only sound was each individual's pulse in their chest. Kukui looked mortified that she'd had the gall to even suggest such a thing, something he'd warned her not to do without evidence long before. Hala's face was unreadable.

"Excuse me?" Guzma finally spoke. Slowly. Evenly. Not the reaction she'd expected, so she tried again.

"Did he…well, maybe not physically. Maybe those golf clubs were just for show, but the bruises and…but maybe he just said things to you that were cruel. I just wondered if he hurt you so much that the pain doesn't go away, however he may have done it. I don't know, I just wondered if…" Finally, she paused her rambling when he choked laughter. It was bitter, like the bile she felt climbing in her throat. When she risked a look at him, she saw him straighten up to his full height, gritting his teeth together.

"Was poor Guzma just a victim? Maybe he's not really a bad guy, maybe somebody made him into this mess. Hell, maybe I could even forgive him if he had some kinda tragic backstory to explain why he's such a piece of shit human being. Is that whatcha wanna know?"

Well, in a way but… "That's NOT my question, Guzma!" she pleaded. "Don't twist it!"

"I'm big bad Guzma!" he replied, voice now mocking. "Destruction in human form! And how does one become destruction in human form? Ya learn from the best." As he flexed his hands, an outlet for the tension, she could hear his knuckles crack. The twisted golf clubs and shards of broken bottles danced before her eyes, which now widened in horror. "But if ya hafta hear it like this to be satisfied, the old man left me black and blue every time I disgraced him. And that was a lot."

Every nagging suspicion clicked into place with those words, and she never wished more in her life that she had been wrong. "Guzma…"

"…what's wrong with you!" he interjected, clenching his hands into fists, entire body shaking as he closed his eyes. "The slogan for my life, burned into my ears from the time I tried to do anything seriously. Nothing was ever good enough for him. It must be my fault, I'm a failure." His hands suddenly fisted themselves in his hair and he began the familiar routine of self-inflicted pain as he yanked hard, harder than she'd ever seen. "Guzma, you can't do anything right!"

"You know that's not true!"

"Shut up!" he yelled, eyes blazing, arms trembling in rage. "Ya come in here thinkin' you've got everything about me figured out. Like hell you do! And now, y'all are gonna sit here and look at me with that goddamn pity! Why do ya think I never let you find out? Don't look at me with those eyes!" After all these years, he'd carefully crafted his armor: Guzma the Boss, Guzma the Thug, Guzma who didn't give a Damn. He did it so no one would suspect what he really was, and now with his secret revealed he was left bare, defenseless under their scrutiny. He was just a sniveling little boy the same as the day his father first struck him, weak and helpless, and that was too much. He'd never wanted anyone to see that part of him, but it was too late. With a roar, he lunged at the cause of his current shame, both other men in the room stunned by the news and by the outburst and unable to react quickly enough.

As soon as she saw his muscles flex, she could have dodged. But she didn't want to dodge. From the bottom of her heart, she wanted to show him she believed he wasn't that bad of a man. So, she stood her ground, allowing his powerful hands to clamp around her forearms so strongly it would surely bruise. She did not flinch. She did not turn her gaze. They stood, eyes locked together, his wild with fear and pain like a wounded animal, hers leaking tears and studying his face for any and every reaction. Slowly, his eyes wandered down to her right hand which clenched something in her pocket. With a trembling hand, he slid down her arm and grasped around her wrist, pulling the hand from her pocket to see what she was holding. It was his Dawnstone.

His face crumpled in shame, releasing his hold on her as if she were scalding his skin. "Oh god, oh god, Guzma, what have you done? What's wrong with you, you monster… You're just like him…" With a howl, he suddenly turned and plowed his fist into the wall. All could hear a sickening crunch as bones surely shattered. "Useless waste of space, you don't deserve to live." His eyes frantically searched the room for something, and finally they settled on a vase that was resting on top of Hala's end table. Before anyone could figure out what he was doing, he grabbed it and smashed it against the wall, bending down to pick up a razor-sharp piece. It cut the inside of his hand from simply holding it. Alondra knew what he planned.

"Guzma, NOOOOO!" she screamed, scrambling to stop him from cutting himself. This time, Hala got there first. It was probably for the better, being that the large man had trained in sumo. Wrapping his arms around him in a bear-hug from behind, he pinned the tall young man's arms to his sides, causing him to drop the shard.

"Guzma, you need to calm down…" Hala spoke evenly, though his voice was pinched. Like he was holding back tears.

"Stop it, old man, lemme go! Why won't ya let me do it? You know everyone would be better off if I just…" He thrashed uselessly against Hala's hold, tears streaming down his face.

"NO, Guzma. Stop and think. Who will take care of Golisopod and the others? How will that make Plumeria feel? I know I've failed you as your master, but I couldn't live with the guilt if anything happened to you, boy!"

"I…I know…" he whimpered, ceasing his writhing and collapsing to his knees. Now, he openly sobbed. "I wish I could do it. I wish I could end it, but I can't! I'm just a broken piece of trash but nobody will let me do it!"

"I know I can't say anything that will help right now, Guzma, so I'm just going to sit here and hold you until the demon passes." To emphasize his point, the old Kahuna squeezed him tighter against his body, not so much as a restraint but as an embrace, rocking him to calm him. "I'm going to be here for you now even though I never was before when you needed me all those years ago. I'm so sorry for being blind, my boy. So sorry…"

"I don't want ya to be sorry for me, old man…"

"No, Guzma, I'm not sorry for you. I'm sorry for letting you down, that's all."

Meanwhile, Kukui remained standing motionless at the side of the room, left feeling completely hollow by what he had learned about his childhood friend. Part of him wanted to run in shame. After all, wasn't he the one always dismissing Guzma's actions as childish? Telling people he was being immature when he threw a fit after losing? He hadn't seen what was really at work even though he had called Guzma a friend. Yet, he didn't leave the room, precisely for that reason. He owed Guzma more than that, so he finally kneeled on the floor in front of him and wrapped his arms around him. "I know you'll never forgive me, and you don't have to."

That just left Alondra, on the verge of her own breakdown. "Oh God, what have I done?" she whispered, but no one heard. They were taking care of Guzma, keeping him from hurting himself, and that was exactly what they needed to do. She didn't belong there though. She caused this. She made him almost self-destruct. With tears pouring down her face but silent as she had always trained herself to be, she ran from the room.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Someone had sat with him for the last 24 hours at all times, whether he was awake or asleep. As soon as he seemed to gain some semblance of control, Hala and Kukui had insisted he go to the emergency room to have his hands examined while hastily trying to bandage up the one that was bleeding. Stitches on his left from the shard of pottery, a cast on the right from punching the wall. While Guzma had finally slept in pure exhaustion, Hala had a long talk with the doctor about getting his charge some medication to control the anxiety and depression, something he'd probably desperately needed long ago but never received. The doctor was hesitant to write a prescription without an examination, which could take months and a lot of yellow tape given Guzma's circumstances, but Hala held enough clout as the Kahuna that his word was taken seriously. It certainly wouldn't be enough to handle all the trauma, but it would be an important first step to managing it.

The very next thing Kukui insisted on was calling Plumeria. He'd gotten her number registered when she started her Island Challenge, and knew from past experience that she and Guzma worked very closely together. Alondra had said no one knew him better than her. She would want to know what happened. Fumbling in his mind for the right words he would need when she answered, he stepped into a vacant room and shut the door behind him. His dread was palpable.

It only took two rings. "Kukui, what's up? Is this about Hala? I've been looking for him for an hour but everybody's just been wringing their hands and saying he went down to the city for an emergency. I thought Alondra would know what was happening, but I can't find her anywhere."

"Well, yeah, this is about that. Listen, Plumeria, are you somewhere alone?" Kukui began tentatively.

There was a pause. "Shit. What happened? Is it Guzma?" She tried to play it calm, but it was evidently not working as her voice escalated.

"It is. We're…at the hospital right now. No life threatening injuries or anything, just some stitches and a broken hand."

"But that's not all, is it?"

"N-no. I'll ask again. Are you somewhere private?"

A deep breath on the other end. "I'm heading up the trail to the shrine. It's fine."

"So, umm, Plumeria, have you ever noticed anything off about Guzma's…mental state?"

There was a string of curses. "Did he hurt himself?"

"I'll take that as a yes." Kukui bit his lip and rested his forehead in his palm. "And yes, he did. Luckily, Hala and I were both there to stop him from doing anything more drastic."

"One of two things happened to cause this, and I can't decide which it would be." The girl seemed to pull herself together, trying to sort out the situation logically. "The first is that something happened with his dad last night after he called me."

"Did you know…I mean, did he ever tell you that his dad…"

"Beat him? Made him feel worthless with the things he said? Yeah. His dad should go die in a hole."

"So you did know. She was right then; none of us really knew him except you." Kukui deep down had hoped that everyone had been as in the dark about Guzma's past as he was, refusing to acknowledge that Plumeria might have been someone he trusted more than the other people in his life. Alondra had called it correctly to his dismay.

"Who?" Plumeria's voice suddenly became very suspicious, and twice as agitated. "Suspect number two? Did she start asking questions that pushed him over the edge?"

"Are you referring to Alondra?"

"Yes." There was tense silence as she waited for the verdict.

"Guzma overheard her talking to Hala and got confrontational. Hala and I pushed her and Guzma into a corner because she kept speaking in riddles and wouldn't answer us plainly. We gave her no choice and she asked Guzma if his dad had done anything to him. And that ended in about the worst way possible."

"I KNEW that bitch would hurt him!" With a furious roar, he could hear something snapping in the background.

"Plumeria?! Hey, you're not doing anything…"

"I'M MAKING SOME TWIGS, NOT BREAKING MY BONES, OKAY?!"

He breathed in relief. The last thing he needed was a second person in the hospital for self-injury. "Hey, I know you're upset with her, but she didn't want any of this to happen, I'm sure! She wanted to ask Guzma when they were alone but we didn't let her."

"She didn't have to do what you told her!"

"We goaded Guzma on so he demanded she talk. Please, I understand why you blame her. I told her long ago that she shouldn't be messing with his personal life and she didn't listen to me, but…she did it for the right reasons."

"I hate how naïve she is!" Plumeria's volume had gone back done, but her voice still quivered with fury. "I told her she'd hurt him just because of who she is, and I was right. I should have gotten out of bed and gone with her…"

"Look, Plumeria, I don't mean to cut you off, but right now we need to focus on making sure Guzma is okay. I know that he…trusts you more than anyone, and I was hoping you would come and talk to him when he wakes up."

Another deep breath. "I've had some experience talking him down before, though nothing this serious. I'll be over as soon as I can. Someone's with him now, right?"

"Hala is sitting with him. Nobody's letting him out of their sight."

"Good. I'll be there in a few minutes." Then, the call ended with a click. Well, that could have gone worse…


	9. Chapter 9: Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

Ah, I couldn't wait too long to post again, seeing as I think I traumatized enough people with that last chapter... As much as I want to keep moving to the other pressing issue which is Alondra, I couldn't justify not having these conversations. They define the relationships between these people moving out. So, dear readers, I hope this brings you a bit of peace after everything horrible that happened last chapter. That was the low point, and it is only going to get better for our boy!

Also, sincerest thanks for the comments, faves, bookmarks... Knowing there are people invested in what you are writing definitely makes your day and inspires you to keep at it :)

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The first thing Guzma's bleary eyes noticed when they finally opened was a mess of pink and gold hair. He didn't have to be able to see clearly to know who was sitting next to him. "Plumes…"

"Guzma. I'm not gonna waste my breath until I know you're fully conscious."

Slowly his eyes cleared, and he could see the worry written all over his best friend's face. The deep frown was not angry that he could tell, but her eyes bore into him with intensity. "So, they called ya then. Can't say I'm not glad to see ya." His voice was groggy sounding, and he averted his eyes. He sure didn't feel that he deserved to look at her after the worry he must have caused her.

"Yeah, Kukui let me know what was going on. Said he thought nobody could talk you down like me. Probably true. I sure got the experience." From anyone else, that could have sounded harsh, but Plumeria didn't get to be his closest friend by being anything but blunt.

"He thought to do that…" Guzma's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Surprised me too." She almost made a comment about Alondra telling him who knew Guzma best, but caught herself. The last thing Guzma needed right now was to have that trigger brought up. "He's definitely clueless, but at least he means well. There are worse things."

"Yeah." They settled into silence. Guzma began inspecting the IV that had been inserted into his arm. "What the hell's this for?"

"You didn't need any blood, but the doctors did worry about you dehydrating thanks to that nasty work you did on your left hand. You fell asleep before they could get you to drink, so they shoved it in your arm."

"Oh." He then turned his attention to his left hand, now stitched up. The area was super tender, even when he flexed his it. He started to reach for it with his other hand, but was stopped both by the memory of the cast he now had on his right hand, as well as Plumeria's sharp voice.

"Don't you DARE think about picking at those stitches, moron. You wanna stay in this hospital even longer?"

"Nah. I'd love to get outta here and go find myself a nice hole to crawl into."

"Look, Guz…" Plumeria waited until he looked her in the eye. Normally Guzma would stare anyone down, but now he could hardly meet the gaze of his friend. "You're not gonna be able to hide from this. I know it's not what you want, and it's gonna be tough, but that's just how it is."

"I never wanted it to be like this," he muttered lamely, hanging his head. "How many years did I hide it so this would never happen? I don't even know what to do now, how to deal with people…"

"Well, odds are good they'll ask you things. If you're a good sport, you'll answer their questions. Then, you get back to work on what Nanu assigns you. You can see the gang again, help 'em out, and then maybe you and me go challenge another league together or something."

"You make it sound so easy!" He narrowed his eyes in frustration. "You think dealing with Hala and Kukui is gonna be a simple game of 20 questions?"

"Hey, you're missing the point, Guzma. If they didn't ask, that would mean they didn't care. What would be worse?" He sighed, leaning back into his pillow. Seeing he wasn't going to say anything, she continued. "You know the old man is worried sick about you. I've never seen that guy anything but chill, but he hasn't stopped pacing since I got here. You don't blame him for not figuring it out, do you?"

That was a change of pace. "Why would I blame him? I didn't want him knowing!" Guzma scowled.

"Well, it sounds like you really put on a show back there, something that just looked like you were screaming for help." Guzma's face turned bright red. He would have denied it vehemently if he could have even remembered what exactly he'd said. That whole episode was a blur in his memory. "Then again, you must not hold it against him. When I heard you'd gone on a trip with him, I couldn't believe you'd do that. All I ever heard from you was how he betrayed you, how he gave up on you. But if you really thought that, there's no way you'd have gone with him, right?"

"I dunno why I said 'yes'. I guess…" he took a deep breath. He'd admit this to no one except Plumeria. "I wanted to believe he still hadn't given up on me."

"So if he asks you questions, you've gotta be up front with him. You cannot deny he cares about you, Guz. If you could just see his face, you would never deny it again. Shit, we call him an old man, but this if the first time he actually looked like one." The silence crept in again, but this time, Plumeria could be heard starting to sniffle. "Seeing the expression on his face, hearing how Kukui sounded over the phone, watching you lying on this bed…damn it all Guzma, I've never seen you this bad. You scared the hell out of me." Fat teardrops rolled down her cheeks and she brushed them away roughly.

"Plumes," he attempted half-heartedly. He couldn't think of anything to say to continue, however. Plumeria was not a crier, and this hit hard.

"You were my first real friend. When they told me you were talking about ending your own life… Thinking about losing you, especially now that things are starting to get better… Guzma, I know when we were in Team Skull we didn't have anybody to go to for help and I tried to do the best I could for you when you were struggling, but now you've got a shot at getting the kind of help you need. Even if you're too stubborn, suck it up and take it for my sake. I don't wanna lose you." Frustrated at her own display of weakness, she crossed her arms and turned away to look out the window.

Guzma waited a moment before trying to say anything. He had to come up with the right thing to tell her, and he didn't want to upset her any more than he had already. "Plumes, I don't remember much about what happened, but talkin' to ya, there is one thing I distinctly remember."

"Yeah? And what's that?" she demanded, still looking away so he couldn't see the tracks of her tears.

Guzma swallowed thickly. "Old man Hala was holdin' me down, and he told me to think of you and how you'd feel if I went through with it. That was enough to get me to stop." Silence, deafening silence. Why wasn't she saying anything? "Plumes, say somethin'!"

"You big idiot." The young woman turned back to face him, and though she was still shedding some tears, a smile of relief graced her face. "You'd better not just be saying that to try and get me to leave you alone…"

"Nah, do ya really think I'd say somethin' that touchy feely if I didn't hafta?" he challenged, tilting his chin, daring her to argue.

"No, probably not. You're such an asshole Guz, making my mascara start running and shit…" She looked at her arm, now covered in black. "I look like crap."

"Plumes, you could rock any look ya wanted. It's fine."

"Shut up, Guzma. You don't know jack squat about makeup."

Finally, the silence that filled the room was comfortable. Even though it was tiny, both were smiling. Still, it wasn't enough. "Hey, thanks for comin' Plumeria. I know I haven't seen ya in a while and you've got your own things you're doing now, but it means a lot, ya know?" He would have been scratching his undercut awkwardly if he had a good hand to do so, so all he could do was study the far corner of the room intently.

Plumeria raised in eyebrow. It was not like Guzma to say thanks for anything, even to people he liked. He must have really been in a dark place. "You think it's passed?" she inquired seriously.

"I…don't know. Once I go out there, when it's not just you and me, I don't know what will happen. But I won't kill myself. I was outta my mind then. You've seen me when I get bad, but trust me, you've never seen me that bad."

"Was that the first time you'd ever…wanted to kill yourself? I mean…" As the memories came back, a look of pain washed over her. "I've seen you smash crap, rip at your hair, scratch yourself til you bled, drink til you passed out, scream at yourself… But suicide…" Plumeria shivered. "This is the first I've heard about it being that bad, Guz. Did I miss something back then?"

Guzma sighed and closed his eyes. "One other time. It was before I met ya and got to be in charge of the team. I couldn't think about dying when I had a job to do. It didn't make life easier, but it gave me a reason to keep fighting anyways."

"What stopped you that one other time if I wasn't around?"

"Golisopod. Physically stopped me." His eyes were suddenly gazing into the distance, as if recalling the past. "God, I love that bug."

Plumeria shook her head, but wore an amused expression. "I know it's not funny, but why am I not surprised Golisopod would save the day?"

Guzma grinned despite himself, breaking out of his trance. "Because he's the fricken bomb. I mean, the others would have probably helped but they were all fainted from battle at that point. Long story. Point is, besides you, they're the only ones that I could always count on, ya know?"

"Yep. But remember Guzma, that's going to be different now. There ARE other people who want to help you, and you need to let them even though it's hard for you. You and me, we aren't used to people having our backs, but you've got a chance to turn it around."

A shadow crossed his face. "Yeah. Gonna be ridiculously hard." Groaning, he pulled the covers over his head. "I don't wanna face 'em. Can ya help me escape through the window or somethin'?"

"No." He heard the squeak of the chair on the floor as Plumeria stood, then the soft patter of her footsteps. Suddenly the covers were ripped off to expose his head, and his friend mussed his mop of hair. "You can do this. You need to do this. I'll be here if you need me."

"Fine!" He moved to swat her away only to hiss in pain. Damn, he always forgot about his injuries… "Hey, I forgot. Are we on the first story of the hospital, or…"

"Guzma!"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Plumeria had waited a bit longer, ensuring that he was calmed down and ready to handle more stress before she went to fetch Hala. The doctor was in the room removing the IV and trying to get him to drink some Pinap juice, so he would not be alone.

She found both him and Kukui sitting in the guest lounge. Kukui was absently flipping through channels on tv but it was apparent nothing much was registering. Hala simply sat with his arms folded and his eyes closed, as if meditating. Plumeria had to clear her throat for either to notice she'd entered.

"I think we're ready to bring you guys down. Just, don't give him a full interrogation."

"How is he?" Kukui pressed, dropping the remote. "Is there a doctor up there now?"

"Yeah, he's just checking up on him. I think if we can get the awkward stuff out of the way before we leave, that would be best in case something triggers him again."

"I don't know what I'm gonna say…" the young professor admitted, suddenly appearing anxious.

Plumeria snorted. "I'm sure it would be fine with him if everyone pretended nothing happened…"

"But it did, and I will not." Hala stood. "Do you think it is fine for both of us together, or…"

"Probably better if he doesn't have to go through things more than once."

"Very well. Come Kukui. You don't have to say anything if you don't wish, but I…" He sighed heavily, shoulders sagging. "I have enough I need to say." With that, he pushed past Plumeria and out the room, leaving the two others to follow in silence all the way down the hall.

The door to the room was open since the doctor had entered, and Hala could hear her voice as he stood outside the entrance. "Everything checks out, Mr., uh, Guzma. The stitches will dissolve on their own, but don't get your hand wet or put any strain on it to keep it from reopening. You'll come back in six weeks for an x-ray to ensure your hand healed properly, and hopefully we will be able to remove your cast. All we need to know before we discharge you is where you will be staying."

Guzma had only been half listening to the doctor ramble on about protecting his hand or some drivel like that, but as soon as the question was asked, his eyes widened and his throat tightened. He had no answer to give. Would they keep him here if he had nowhere to go? "Uhh, I don't…"

"He'll be staying with me." Hala stepped into the room, revealing his presence. His answer was resolute.

"Very well, Lord Kahuna. Because of the nature of his…injuries…we will ask that you sign for him just so we know he is being monitored."

"I'm not a frickin' child!" Guzma snarled, tensing.

Before he could put up too much of a fight, Plumeria stuck her head into the room. "You aren't going anywhere alone, so suck it up, Guz!" He responded with a low growl, but said no more, opting instead to sulk at his apparent loss of freedom.

"I will do so in a little while. May we remain here in the meantime?"

"Of course, Lord Kahuna. Take all the time you need." With a respectful bow, the woman excused herself, leaving the trio standing before the patient. Plumeria moved to close the door, then waited patiently. The first move would not be hers; she had already done what she needed to do.

Finally, the large man moved to take a seat, pulling the chair up next to the bed. Guzma was looking mighty uncomfortable, and found something interesting on the ceiling while his hands twitched to the best of their abilities. Already his stomach was churning with anxiety. Only one way to handle this. "So, remember when I was 14 and started wearin' that purple eyeshadow? Kukui always joked that I was goin' through my EMO phase?"

"Oh god," Kukui moaned, burying his face in his hands. "Don't tell me…"

"That eyeshadow is stellar for covering black eyes, ya know?" A twisted grin crossed his face for a moment, but when he noticed how miserable Kukui looked, it disappeared just as quickly as it had come. Plumeria was all set to scold him for being a jerk when he continued. "I…I'm an asshole. I shouldn't talk like that, but…I dunno HOW to…"

"Guzma, I've been thinking. A lot. And something that comes to me often is that conversation we had recently on the beach. You know what I'm talking about?"

"Yeah…" Now Guzma was studying the blankets, picking at the lint.

"Two things stand out. And the first is when you told me destruction was all you knew. I didn't understand what you meant back then, but I do now."

"Old man, I…"

"I thought back when you were young that you simply had an overly aggressive temperament, that you were unable to keep your hunger for victory in check. I blamed your lack of control squarely on you, but it was actually the natural product of how you were being raised all along. And every time you had a fit after losing, when I thought you were being immature and had your priorities wrong, it wasn't about the battle as much as what came before and after the battle. Am I wrong?"

His pulse quickened in his chest and he licked his lips. "Losing is a disgrace. I'm not good enough. And if I showed up at home without a gold trophy…" His eyes squeezed shut and his entire body tensed, as if bracing for imaginary blows. Hala was all set to massage his shoulder to comfort him, to bring him back to the moment, but Plumeria rushed over to stop him.

"I know it's hard, but you shouldn't touch him when he's thinking about that stuff."

"Like I'm going to hurt him, is that right?" The normally jovial kahuna looked absolutely devastated.

"Yeah. Just keep your voice soft and keep talking to him."

One gray eye opened. "I'm right here, Plumes."

"Good. Stay there and let Hala finish." She looked at the old man expectantly.

He cleared his throat. "As I was saying, it sounds like your father was destruction. He modeled it, he made you fear it. When you became the destruction, it kept you from being on the receiving end. Therefore, you strove to 'beat down' the competition and become 'destruction in human form'. It gave you mastery over the thing that controlled you. Does that sound right?"

All Guzma could do was nod miserably. It wasn't as if he'd actually thought of his actions that way, but when phrased like that it sounded right.

"The second thing I recall that puzzled me was when you told me I was 'fronting' as your master when I offered to take you back in. I thought you didn't consider me to be your master because I did not support you during that Trial Captain process. But I see clearly now, I indeed fronted as your master because I never noticed all the warning signs. I never made a point to meet your family. I never followed you that day after the selection process. You needed me, but I failed you. How could I call myself your master after letting you down in such a way?" Hala's speech became choked, and he stopped to wipe tears from his eyes. "I don't know if I can forgive myself for that."

Guzma suddenly became frantic, as if the sight of his long-time teacher in such distress were unbearable. "Don't talk like that! I wanted to hide it, you weren't supposed to know. How could you blame yourself?"

"Guzma, you were still a child. Just because you wanted to hide it doesn't mean you were clever enough to cover all your tracks. I mean, the stories you always told about getting those bruises from training? When you kept your shirt on even when swimming with Wimpod? When you became so withdrawn and would disappear for a week at a time after a tournament?" Those memories seemed to push the old man over the edge. He stopped, bowing his head in shame and wept in earnest.

His student could not handle the sight before him. Urgently, he threw off the blankets and scrambled to the edge of the bed before his teacher. "Stop it, old man! You ain't supposed to act like this!" But when Hala didn't stop, his face blanched. It was going to take something drastically out of character to make him believe there was no ill will. Tentatively, he held out his battered hands. Hands that had only ever been good at breaking and damaging. Taking a deep breath, he reached out hesitantly and hugged his master, face burning and eyes once again looking to the ceiling. Guzma didn't hug people. Sometimes he let Plumeria because he trusted her that much, but it wasn't something he was used to. "Look, I don't blame ya, so you shouldn't blame yourself either." And much to his surprise, he realized he meant what he said.

Before Hala could respond, the moment was interrupted by Kukui's phone ringing. "Damn it," he swore, digging in his pockets for the phone to silence it. Definitely a mood killer… But before he silenced it, he looked at the name in the caller id and cursed again. "I'm sorry, I have to take this." With the push of a button, he answered. "Hello Mrs. Santos."

"Mrs. Santos?" Plumeria questioned, confused.

Hala straightened up, Guzma having since separated himself sheepishly. "Alondra's mother."


	10. Chapter 10: The Flip Side

**Author's Note:** So, people are wondering what the heck happened to Alondra (aww, they care!). I find it important to illustrate that depression does not manifest itself in the same way for everyone, and that does not make it any less valid for one person or another. This was actually the second chunk of text I wrote for the story a long time ago but finally cleaned up and fit into place. Hopefully everyone can take a sigh of relief when this sorts itself out!

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

She spoke so loudly everyone in the room could hear every word. "Kukui, I need your help. Do you know what happened to Alondra yesterday?" Her mom's voice was desperate, almost panicked.

"Huh?" the professor frowned. "I mean, I do, but what's the matter?"

"I don't know. I've never seen her this bad before. She had the warning signs and we got her on medication years ago but…she's having an attack of a magnitude I've never seen and I'm scared!"

"What kind of attack?"

"When she got home yesterday afternoon she ran into her room and slammed the door shut. She didn't lock the door, thank god, so I went in to check on her. She was wailing that she broke somebody named 'Guzma', declared that she was a horrible human being who should just disappear, and asked to be left alone. I was worried, so I took everything potentially dangerous out of her room: belts, shoes with strings, sharp objects, medication… She didn't try to stop me, she just kept sobbing. I tried to get her to talk but she won't say anything else. I've got Meowth posted at the window in case she tries to get out and I've been sitting in the living room watching her door. But she won't come out, and I've tried to get her to eat and drink and take her medication but she won't. I understand being upset for a little while, but it has been 24 hours! I've never seen her this bad, and I don't know what to do!"

Kukui's eyes widened. Clearly, her condition was lost in the chaos surrounding Guzma yesterday, and no one had noticed how hard she took the whole thing. No, 'taking it hard' didn't begin to cover it; the girl had a complete meltdown from what it sounded like, and not one of them had seen it. These last 24 hours were an absolute disaster that seemed to get worse and worse instead of better. "Okay, it's okay. One of us should probably come over there and talk to her. Something happened yesterday that set her off, and we didn't know that she reacted that way."

"Who in the world is Guzma?" her mother demanded, interrupting him. "That's all she'll say, that she's ruined his life, but I've never even heard of him!"

"I'll explain once we get there. Just, stay calm. We're in Hao'oli City and were just leaving the hospital. We can be there in twenty minutes. Will you be okay?"

There was deep breathing on the other side of the phone. "Yes. She doesn't seem desperate, just…lifeless. I don't think anything will happen."

"Okay. We'll be there soon. I'm hanging up now," he warned. When she didn't protest, he ended the call. With a sigh, he stared at it for a second. Turning to the other three standing around him, his shoulders slumped. "So, we've got a problem."

"We heard, Kukui." Guzma was boring a hole into the ground, fidgeting. "She's in a bad place."

Hala rubbed his head, having put aside his own guilt for the moment. "You know, Guzma, as much as I want to spare you the conversation, I don't think speaking to anyone else but you will help her."

"I know that too," he growled, kicking the ground. The one hand that still could was shoved into his pocket.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Plumeria interjected defensively. "Look at what happened last time when she…"

"Let's just go." In a huff, he pushed his way to the door even though he had no idea where exactly he was going. Hala was right, the two of them had business to reconcile, but that wasn't even all. There were flashes of a memory, of grabbing her roughly, of staring into her eyes as tears fell. Of a pale blue stone clenched in her hand. A wave of nausea gripped him, and he had to clench his jaw to keep it down. Now she was broken too, all because he couldn't control himself. Alondra had made him furious, but she didn't deserve that. Nobody deserved that feeling.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

When the group arrived at her house, her mother was there to immediately open the door. "Thank goodness you've arrived Professor. Hala. Plumeria. And…" She looked up at Guzma curiously. "I'm assuming you're Guzma?" She then looked down and saw how his hands were bandaged up, baffled by the sight.

"Yes, and I punched a wall and cut myself, because I know you are wondering," he responded sullenly. "I need to speak with Alondra."

Her mother looked hesitant, studying the imposing young man before her. Only a nod from Kukui and Hala prodded her to agree. "Okay. And, while you're at it, could you try to get her to drink some water at least? Or take her medication?" He simply nodded with a grunt, prompting the woman to go fetch them for him. "Come inside and take a seat at the table."

As she worked to fill a glass and pull out the appropriate dose, the guests did as she requested sans Guzma, whose eyes darted around the house inspecting everything. Considering how much she had figured out about him, he knew next to nothing about her, and was trying to pull clues from the environment. He didn't have long before he was interrupted. "Hey, Guz," Plumeria hissed, reaching for his sleeve and pulling him closer. "You sure you're gonna be okay to talk to her?"

"No, I'm not. Does that make you feel better?"

"We're right here to help if something doesn't go well," Hala reminded, more for Plumeria than for Guzma. "This has to be."

"Here," Alondra's mother interrupted, holding out the items.

"We'll fill her in on everything while you two talk," Hala added meaningfully.

"Right." He grabbed the glass of water and the single pill Alondra had been rationed and slunk over to the door. He gave a sharp rap with his foot, being he didn't have a good hand to knock with. "Hey, Alondra, I'm comin' in, so I hope you're decent! I'm such a nice guy, I'm givin' ya more warning than ya gave me!" Of course, he quickly realized that with a glass of water in his one semi-decent hand, he couldn't open the door. He cleared his throat expectantly, and Kukui ran over to turn the doorknob for him. Nodding his thanks, he entered, with Kukui shutting it behind him.

He found that Alondra hadn't stirred from her spot on her bed, where she was planted on her stomach and facing the wall. Even in the hot weather, her covers were pulled up over her shoulders as if to hide her. Only the back of her head was visible, hair a tousled mess. Guzma crossed the room and set the water glass down on her desk, with the pill next to it, then folded his arms as best he could. "Hey, don't tell me you're sleepin'. I came all the way over here from the hospital just to talk with ya, so you'd better not ignore me! Especially considering you're the one so worried you ruined my life."

That last remark earned a whimper from the girl, who responded by turning onto her side still facing away from him and curling into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. Not the best way to have a conversation, but good enough he figured. "Well, I know you're listenin' at least. Okay, pay attention. About yesterday…I probably did feel like you ruined my life yesterday. And today, I'd still say you made it a hell of a lot more difficult."

"I'm sorry…" she sniffled in a thin, fragile voice so full of cracks it could shatter if he looked at her wrong. "I never wanted that to happen. I didn't think…"

"Yeah, ya didn't think. Ya didn't think about how I'd react to having my childhood abuse brought up. I spent every day of my life trying to hide it. It's how I survived all these years and you brought it out for people to see. I wanted to die."

He could see her visibly tremble under the blankets. "Please don't. I know I screwed up and I can't take it back, but please don't! I'm the one who's useless, a mess up, ruining things for everybody. I'm the one that should just disappear, not you."

Her response left Guzma floored. Were those words hers or his? But so different at the same time! When he thought them, he was filled with anger and wanted to hurt himself or other things to lash out. But when she thought them…she just looked like she wanted to curl into a ball and die, meek and quiet, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible as she suffered. "How do you do that?"

"Huh?" For the first time, she turned to face him, revealing red blood-shot eyes from crying all night.

Guzma pulled out a chair from her desk and sat with his legs spread, studying her unapologetically. "How do you hate yourself so quietly like that? I mean, I'm definitely not a subtle guy when I lose it, obviously. But you, I had no idea you had this in you. Has it always been this way, or did I just set you off that bad?"

Alondra swallowed, but her throat was so dry it did little good. "I've always been this way. I was the only one in my town that didn't get to go off and have a Pokémon adventure. All my friends left, and when they came back, they couldn't even relate to me. I was always alone, I was always the weird girl that was too sheltered to leave home. I'm awkward, timid, and I'd rather not battle my Pokémon even though everybody keeps telling me I should because I'm good at it."

"Ya don't like battling?!" Guzma stared, jaw agape.

"See? Everybody thinks I'm strange…" She buried her head under the covers. Guzma cursed himself for his initial reaction.

"Look, hey, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just surprised, because you always end up kicking my ass in battle!" he attempted. Then, he sighed. "So, I can't even win against someone who doesn't like battling. What does that mean about me? I really am a failure…"

"No!" she cried, re-emerging from the covers. "You're like the strongest person I've ever battled against, except maybe Hau because he did legitimately beat me for Championship. Then again, he had six Pokémon and you have yet to fight me with a full team…"

"Well, that perked you up real fast," he observed with a smirk. Seeing what he had done, she huffed in annoyance and flopped her head back down on the pillow. "Now, back to my question. You're so quiet about all that self-loathing. Were you struggling with it lately while you were while you were runnin' around doing the Island Challenge?"

She shook her head. "Getting my Pokémon helped me. They made me feel more confident about myself. I got to thinking as I finished my Trials that maybe I wasn't such a screw-up. But now…" Her face fell. "I can see that hasn't changed at all. I want to help but I just make a mess. I'm lucky Hala and Kukui were there to clean up the mess I made yesterday. You must hate me so much…" She choked on the last words, and if she still had tears left to cry, they would have emerged.

There was silence for a moment. "Ya know, as I was sayin', ya made my life really really difficult. And it hurt like hell to the point where I wanted to die. But maybe that's how it had to be. I've heard people say that sometimes ya gotta break a bone to reset it right. Maybe ya had to expose me for me to heal the right way." When she risked a look at him, he was staring out the window, leaning his elbow on her desk and resting his chin on the heel of his hand. "I would never do it myself, and I needed someone with the guts to call me out. Up til now, nobody's even paid enough attention to notice. I wanted it to be a secret, but at the same time I held a grudge against all of them for not noticing. I know it doesn't make sense, but…"

"No, I get it. You're mind wants one thing and your heart won't stop wanting another." He turned to look at her, and when their eyes met, there was an understanding.

"Well, I pushed so many people away, this was probably the only way to build my bridges back and build a semi-decent life for myself, so in the end I may be thankin' ya. We'll see." He paused. Did he hate her? It would be simple to just tell her he didn't to get her to snap out of it, but as he contemplated, he realized all the fire of his initial rage had burned out, and nothing of hate remained in the ashes. How could he hate her when she was laid low in a way he was all too familiar with? Feeling a pain he was so used to carrying? And for what would he hate her, for trying to understand him? "But the point is, I do know that I don't hate ya, and believe me, if I did I would tell ya," he finished gruffly, slouching back in the chair.

She seemed to think about something. "Open the top drawer on the desk."

Puzzled, he raised an eyebrow and did as she asked. He found his lucky Dawnstone sitting right on top. He pulled it out, remembering the smooth, cool texture that had always been so calming. Of course, now he could hardly enjoy that with all the bandages covering his hands. "Ya need this?"

"You should take it back. Maybe you don't hate me, but you probably don't like me all that much. I know it means a lot to you, and I don't deserve to have it after what I put you through." Her face was downcast, and she bit her lip.

She was met with a long, hard stare. Alondra was grateful to be so buried under her covers… "I decide what you deserve from me, not you."

"G-Guzma?"

"I gave that to ya because I felt like you were someone who cared. That has not changed. In fact, few people have ever cared more than you have. Of course you ain't givin' it back! Now, hold out your hand." No way was she going to argue with Guzma, even if she didn't agree. Reaching out from under the sheets with shaky arms, she held out her hands only for him to press the Dawnstone into them just as he had the first time. However, unlike the first time, he curled her fingers around it, forming a tight grasp on it. "I'll tell ya something." Suddenly, the carpet was the most interesting thing in the room for Guzma. "When I was younger, hangin' onto that Dawnstone used to calm me down. But yesterday I found out seeing you hang onto it was even better." At that, he turned red and let go, swiveling the chair around so she couldn't see him. "And…I see the bruises I gave ya on your arms. I'm the one who should be thinkin' YOU would hate ME."

For the first time, Alondra studied the insides of her arms where he had grabbed her the day before, noticing there were indeed purple blotches, though still rather faint. "I trusted that you wouldn't hurt me, and I was right. This doesn't count."

"How do ya figure? You're covered in bruises!"

"I'm not COVERED in bruises. I have two light bruises that I didn't even notice I had."

"You weren't in your right mind to notice…"

"Guzma, I'm telling you I'm not mad about it!"

"Well I am!" She noticed his shoulders were shaking slightly as he attempted to grab his hair. He opted to ignore the pain in his left hand in favor of doing so. "I hurt you. I'm just like my old man getting mad and hurting people, and that thought is…" He shivered, fighting back tears.

Alondra panicked. All of a sudden, this conversation had taken a turn for the worse. How could she get him to.… Then, she recalled his words not a minute before. "Guzma, look at me." When he didn't, she repeated it again, even more forcefully and deliberately. "Guzma. Look. At. Me." This time, he grudgingly obeyed, and was greeted by the sight of her clutching onto his Dawnstone, eyes soft and worried. "You are NOT him. Back when I beat you in Po Town, you could have done anything to me, but you had the strength to walk out of that room. And yesterday, you didn't stop what you were doing because Hala and Kukui were there; you stopped because you had enough control over yourself to know it wasn't what you wanted. I believe you won't ever be like him."

He may have doubted those words, but not the conviction behind them. And what was it about seeing her hold onto his Dawnstone like that? Maybe…it was like she was clinging onto HIM and refusing to let go. He could feel the tension in his body dissipate. "I hope you're right." With a sigh, they fell into silence. When he looked down at the desk, he remembered the errand he had yet to do. Reaching out, he grasped the glass of water. "Thirsty?"

She looked hesitant even though her lips were clearly chapped. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine. I've pulled enough of that bullshit to recognize it when I see it. Now, lemme rephrase that. Drink."

"Why do you worry about me? I'm the one that hurt you…" she protested. Ah, back to this… Time to kill it once and for all.

He glared at her, unwilling to hold anything back. "You were nosy and annoying, but you did not hurt me. My old man hurt me. I hurt myself. You, however, did not hurt me. So stop punishing yourself for something I've told you will probably work out for the best in the long run and drink the damn water before I pour it down your throat."

Harsh, yes, but she realized that it was what she needed to hear. "Fine." Her voice cracked, betraying her parched throat. He stared knowingly, and she scowled, taking the glass from him and taking a long drink. She had nearly finished when he snatched it away from her. "What the heck?"

"You don't get to finish the rest unless you take this with it," he informed her, holding her pill in his other hand's fingers.

She studied his hand. "You broke it when you punched that wall, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Ya wanna sign it or somethin'?"

Calling his bluff, she threw the covers off and brushed past him to a drawer in her desk. She withdrew a sharpie and began scrawling her name to his shock, along with a giant, gaudy heart. He squinted at the writing, confused. "Luna?"

"My first name," she confessed. "I always thought it was silly to be called 'Moon' even if it is in another language, so I use my middle name. But this way no one will know who signed it."

He smiled, just a tiny one, then just as quickly buried it under his typical frown. "Fine, you signed the cast. Now you definitely owe me. Take this." She obeyed without complaint, popping it in her mouth and rinsing it down with the rest of the water. He wanted to ask exactly what the stuff was, but he figured by now it had something to do with her depression, and he wasn't going to ask.

"Now, it's time you got out of this room. Your mom is worried sick about ya."

Alondra looked embarrassed. "I've put her through a lot. I'm lucky I have someone that cares about me as much as she does." He knew what she implied.

"Not just your mom. Hala and Kukui, and even Plumeria are out there being worried about the BOTH of us. They're gonna need a vacation when this is done…" Guzma shook his head and made his way for the door. Stupid twist handle! He struggled with it, trying to find a way to open it without aggravating his wound when she gently smacked his hand away.

"Allow me."

As she opened the door, she found herself looking into his eyes again, and realized he was looking right back. Both flushed. Both were thinking 'What a pair we make'.


	11. Chapter 11: Repairing Bonds

**Author's Note:** So... (looks away awkwardly) I've only put off finishing this for three months. Read some of the reviews and knew I had to do this thing justice, so yeah! Let's do it!

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They always said time healed all wounds, but time couldn't heal everything by itself. Guzma and Alondra had reached an understanding in that short span, but that didn't make things normal between them. It also didn't make everything right between everyone else in their lives.

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Hala insisted Guzma stay with him for a week to keep an eye on him before sending him to Nanu, and even that led to questions Guzma didn't know how to answer.

"Guzma, I can tell Nanu about…you know…right?"

Guzma frowned and looked up from his computer screen. He'd taken up residence in one of Hala's spare bedrooms and spent many hours holed up with his computer. Hala figured it was a way to deal with all his feelings and left him be as long as the door was open. "Why does that geezer need to know?"

"Nanu is essentially your parole officer. It would certainly give him more ammo in your defense."

"I don't want an excuse. That's too much like pity," Guzma growled, snapping his laptop shut with a loud click. If he had fur, it would have bristled.

Hala was learning slowly how to read his student's nonverbal cues in the last day or so. The older man released all the tension in his body so Guzma would draw none into himself. "Because Guzma, it would also give Nanu ammo in his own defense. It's not hard for you to imagine, I'm sure, that some people are not happy with him for how he decided to handle Team Skull. Even if only for his own benefit, knowing your circumstances would certainly strengthen his resolve to stay the course and know he did what was best."

Guzma's shoulders slumped. "So basically he needs to know because it helps him. And if I don't tell him I'm being selfish."

Hala walked over and sat on the bed so he was level with the seated Guzma. "That's your secret to dispense as you see fit. I won't say anything if you truly don't want me to. And if you do want Nanu to know, I will tell him for you and see that he never mentions it to you. That's is why I'm asking."

The room was silent for a long moment. Finally, Guzma shifted uncomfortably. "He won't look at me the same. What if he starts tryin' to be all nice to me like he's sorry for me? God, I couldn't stand that."

Even though the question was serious, Hala had to chuckle. "Do you really think Nanu is going to baby you?" Slowly, the young man shook his head. It was impossible to envision the stoic cop suddenly holding his hand. It wasn't that he was heartless, it just wasn't his style. "He'll use it to protect you, but he'll also use it to protect your team who followed your orders. I won't decide for you, but I highly advise you allow me to explain the situation."

For a second, the dominating form in front of him seemed to shrink down. Hala caught a glimpse of the boy Guzma used to be, suddenly unsure. Just as soon as he saw it, the moment passed. "Fine. But make him promise he won't ask me about it." Guzma flipped the computer back open to continue what he'd been doing. Conversation over. Hala rose and exited the room, pausing for one last look. Guzma raised his eyes to look at his mentor in annoyed confusion, prompting him to continue his progress out of the room. Part of him worried he'd pushed too hard and Guzma was upset. The other part knew annoyance was part of Guzma's personality and he wouldn't have agreed to something if he didn't actually agree. But in the end, what did he know? Not as much as he thought where Guzma was concerned.

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Alondra sat across from her mother as they ate their breakfast silence. A day had gone by since the highly awkward convergence of people at their residence, and while her mom knew the basics of what had happened, Alondra had yet to speak of it to her. Her daughter had come out of hiding, began eating and drinking again, and spent time grooming her Pokémon lost in thought, but other than a few words of response, there had been no conversation between them. It was more than a mother could bear.

She set her spoon down with a clink, causing the girl to jump in surprise. "Alondra sweetie, I know you need your space, but I've been really worried and I need you to talk to me. I can't stand the waiting anymore."

Alondra looked down into her bowl. "I'm sorry for worrying you, mom." Her voice was low, still thick with regret. She always hated making her mom worry, which in turn fueled her depression in a vicious cycle.

Her mom reached across the table and took her hands, squeezing. "I'm not upset with you, dear. I just want you to tell me what's been going on. Then I might know how to help you."

"Kukui and Hala told you, right? There's probably not much more to say."

"There is. There is your side of things. Please, Alondra, what has been eating away at you lately?"

She didn't want to talk about it. It wasn't so much that she was embarrassed as much as the fact that she didn't like burdening other people with her problems. But then she recalled telling Guzma how lucky she was that she had someone to go to. Her mom deserved to know.

Sighing deeply, she began. "There was a guy I ran into a couple of times when I was on my island challenge. He was a bad guy. He led a group of people that stole Pokémon and helped Aether open a hole to other dimensions. He scared me, because he was a very angry guy. But the more I saw him, the more I noticed there were things there besides anger. There was mistrust, desperation, and the most jarring thing was the anguish. He was a bad guy, but I saw something I recognized from myself in him."

"That fellow that went to talk to you. Guzma," her mother concluded, looking contemplative. "I thought there was something threatening about him, but Hala and Kukui seemed to trust him. HE was the leader of that gang?"

"Yeah. But each time I saw him he showed me there was more to him than just that. I don't know why I wanted to figure him out so badly, I just…" The girl bit her lip. "I saw that he was hurting and I wanted to find out why so I could make it stop."

Her mother exhaled. "Alondra, you have always been such a sweet girl, full of empathy for others. It is your best trait and your worst. You help people, but at the cost of your own emotional well-being. And getting involved with a guy like that, even if he was apparently given a second chance…"

"I knew people would disapprove. People only saw him one way, and that was as a bad guy. If they knew what I was doing, they'd make me stop. I didn't want to stop, I wanted to learn how he ended up the way he was."

"So you did some investigating. Or at least that's what Kukui mentioned. Was that what you were doing when you told me you were going out training?"

Alondra looked guilty. "I DID go training. I just also made some stops along the way to talk with people. And I started figuring the situation out. But then I got caught."

"He heard you talking behind his back and was upset, and when he was upset it caused you to go into an attack."

So that was what she had been told. Alondra didn't find it her place to give any more details about Guzma's past, or his own breakdown, so she simply nodded at that summary. "But we talked things over and now it's fine. Or, well, it's better anyway. He told me he's not mad at me after he had some time to think things over. I just wish I knew what would happen from now on." Alondra fidgeted with her hands at the thought. "I still feel he won't want anything to do with me even though he says it's fine."

"Do you want him to stick around?"

And that was the million dollar question. If her fascination with the Team Skull leader had been the mystery of his background, that was no longer a thing. But now that she had her answers, was she repelled from him or drawn to him? Could they perhaps be friends? Or maybe…" She reached into her pocket, where his Dawnstone resided for the past month. She recalled the feeling of his large warm hands wrapping her own around it with a bizarre sensation of intimacy. "I want get to know him. But without asking everybody else, by actually talking to him."

"Do you think he can be redeemed for what he's done?"

This question was much easier to answer. "I do."

Mrs. Santos paused for a moment. "I feel wary, as a mother. But if Hala and Kukui believe he can change, and even Officer Nanu… And if he's anything like that Plumeria girl that was staying here…it seems there are things you won't tell me about him, but that is fine. I think you know enough to make the right decision."

Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes, but this time they were happy. "Thank you for understanding, mom. About everything."

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Plumeria barged into the room unannounced and flopped on the bed next to where Guzma was sitting. This got him to raise his eyes from the computer screen. "Yo, Plumes, whatcha doin' here?"

"What does it look like, Guz? I'm resting! I've been training hard so I can beat Hala. With everything going on, I've gotten off my training regimen."

Guzma suddenly snapped the laptop shut and focused on his friend. "You've really gotten serious about yer battling, Plumes. I knew there was a reason you were my number two. I bet you've been kicking asses and takin' names."

"Heh, been cleaning up pretty good. I told you, already beat six trials of the seven."

In the silence that followed, she could see there was something Guzma wanted to articulate but was trying to figure out how to. She was patient, had to be to live with all those grunts. She could wait for him. "It kinda pisses me off thinking that I could have done something with myself sooner."

That was the inspiration he needed. "Plumes, I'm really glad it wasn't too late for ya. You're finally gettin' the life ya always deserved." He wore the strangest melancholy smile as he spoke, a look she'd never seen on his face as long as she'd known him.

"You know, it's not too late for you either…"

He shrugged with a grunt. "I'll be the one that takes the fall so that the rest of ya can start over. I'll do whatever it takes. I even let Hala tell Nanu about all my shit. It's not like I'll ever have anything goin' for me after what I've done."

"You can't know that!" she chided sharply, golden eyes flashing.

"All I see comin' is the work of rebuilding Po Town under Nanu's watch. After that, I'll be lucky if anybody hires a thug like me. They sure as hell won't want me battling at the Battle Tree…"

Plumeria held out a single finger, staring him down intensely. "One day at a time. You're okay right now. You've got Hala, and Kukui, and me, not to mention a bunch of devoted though admittedly dense teenagers. You don't have to go back home, you'll always have a place to stay. You'll figure it out, one step at a time."

"You forgot Golisopod. And Pinsir, Masquerain, Ariados and Scissor."

Her lip curved upward into a smile. "Heaven forbid I forget your precious bugs. But that's good, keep adding to the list. Anything else you've got to mention?"

Guzma rolled his eyes at her positivity. "Not much else. Except maybe…" He trailed off, squeezing his good hand closed as if grasping something.

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe…Alondra…" When Plumeria's expression turned sour, he straightened up. "I dunno. I don't know her that well. I don't know what she'll do now."

"Hopefully stay away," the young woman muttered darkly.

Guzma shot her a look. "Plumes, you gotta ease up on her. If I can let it go, you sure can."

"For such a tough guy, you sure go easy on her."

"For such a tough girl, ya sure go easy on me!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because we could crack under the pressure. We're the same that way." Guzma hung his head, resting it in his hand. "You and her were hangin' out not too long ago, right? Have ya even said anything to her since, ya know…?"

"No. Nothing I say would be very nice."

Finally, Guzma had to chuckle. "You are so protective, Plumes. Have any of the grunts ever called you a Mamma Ursaring?"

"No. Because they all know I'm much more like a Mareanie; I can be really toxic when provoked." Finally, she lost her serious countenance.

"True. Either way, and I don't know why I'm askin' this of ya, please figure things out with her. For my sake, and yours, and hers."

Plumeria folded her arms. "I'm not even thinking about it until this battle with Hala is done. I can't have any stupid distractions."

"Fair enough. When are ya gonna have yer challenge?"

"Tomorrow morning." She looked thoughtful. "You'll be there watching me, right?"

"Like I'd miss the chance to see my girl Plumeria take out the old man!" Guzma flashed a rare grin. "I know you'll clean up!"

"Good." Plumeria wouldn't say it, not even to her best friend, but having him there cheering her on would mean the world. Things may have gone to hell for a little bit there, but they were also coming back better than ever.


	12. Chapter 12: Grand Trial

**Author's Note:** Ha ha, so I've been really balking at this because I've never written something followed this closely and the pressure is real! But I have a plan to wrap this story up and move on to another piece to fill more gaps. Sorry it's so short, writing battles is not my favorite thing but I tried to pay dutiful attention to accuracy. Thanks all!

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The day had come, and most of Iki Village turned out for the battle between the ex-Skull admin and Kahuna Hala. People were curious to see just how strong a member of Team Skull could be. Even if she was one of the leaders, they were just a bunch of hapless dimwits, right? But she'd won so many challenges already! And the looks she could cast at them were so unnerving! They'd already gotten many glimpses of her as she passed in and out of Hala's lodge to visit her former boss. If the large audience bothered Plumeria, she didn't show it as she waited impatiently for her test to begin.

In that crowd stood Guzma and Kukui, side by side. It had been awkward at first, but Guzma knew he needed to be by SOMEONE who could tolerate him if he was going to watch this battle, and once Kukui got Guzma going about how tough Plumeria was, he talked his ear off. It was enough to distract him from the fact that everyone in the crowd was giving them wide berth. Whatever had happened in the last few days may have tugged at the kahuna and the professor's heartstrings, but the townsfolk were no closer to trusting the towering, scowling young man who still wore a jacket with the Team Skull logo exed out. That didn't bother Kukui though; he was just happy Guzma was tolerating his presence like the good old days.

Finally both challengers took to the stage. Hala's easy-going smile contrasted Plumeria's intense determination as they squared off. "Plumeria, I look forward to seeing what you can do. I'd tell you to bring everything you've got, but I don't think that will be necessary."

"No way. I've worked too hard for this." She held out her arm, Pokeball gripped in her hand. "This is my chance to make something of myself, and I won't waste it!" Without further warning, she sent out her Crobat. "For me and for all of us in Skull, I can't lose here!"

"You tell 'em, Plumes," Guzma murmured in approval, clenching his fists.

"A Crobat! My, she's going for the kill!" Kukui observed. He appeared to already be hyped up for the battle, eyes shining in excitement. "But to even have a Crobat is no easy feat; they start off relatively weak and can only reach that third form through close bonds with their trainers…"

"Damn right. Plumeria worked hard to raise that Crobat from a Zubat. They are close, though not as close as me an' Golisopod of course." Kukui admired the look of pride Guzma wore while simultaneously feeling jealous of Plumeria. Instead of creating rivalry, Guzma saw her as a friend. Instead of downplaying her accomplishments, he praised them. Would he ever be anything but a rival, or had he lost his chance of being his friend long ago? Guzma's side glance caught him off guard, and he blushed. "I'm sure the old man's got a trick for that obvious type advantage though. He always does."

"What else does she have up her sleeves?"

Guzma laughed. Granted, it wasn't a full laugh, more like a deep chuckle, but it still sounded foreign and absolutely welcome. "I ain't tellin' ya squat, Kukui. Let Mr. Move Fanatic find out for himself. All I'll say is that it will be kick-ass."

And it was. Crobat made short work of the purely fighting-type Hariyama, but Hala must have anticipated her type advantage, because his next Pokemon was the part ice-type Crabominable. As swift as Crobat was it couldn't handle the ice attacks. Plumeria then countered with her trusty Salazzle. Again, Kukui whistled in appreciation. "A female Salazzle is difficult to get! Only 12.5% of the population are female…"

"Her pride and joy," Guzma nodded, then he frowned. "But that's her strongest. Makes me wonder what she's got as her third. No doubt Hala's gonna use his Poliwrath to clean up Salazzle once it finishes Crabominable. And that's provided Salazzle can get in with its fire moves before Crabominable can land Earthquake…"

Kukui stared. "You have this whole battle mapped out in your head, don't you?"

Guzma scoffed, as if offended. "And you don't, Move Expert? We've both studied under Hala long enough to know his strategies. Unless you were hit by those Rockruff too many times and lost too many brain cells?"

"Tch." Kukui shrugged, unsure how to respond. He'd always assumed Guzma hadn't been listening, with his flippant comments and arrogant manners. "I guess you were paying attention after all."

"Everything. To beat him, I had to know everything." Guzma's deep frown was only broken by Salazzle punishing the crab Pokemon swiftly and brutally with flamethrower, to which he gave a holler of approval. The lizard's speed had given it the edge.

Fault him his many faults, but it could not be said Guzma was lazy in his pursuit of his ambitions, Kukui realized. And maybe…maybe he really did have a natural talent for battle. He blinked at the thought, not even watching as Hala called out the very Poliwhirl Guzma had predicted. Maybe focusing on bugs was the reason he was unable to beat his peers at the time, before they'd gotten the chance to fully mature. It made him idly wonder what would happen if they had an honest rematch now. The thought would have to wait; who knew what Guzma would do if he lost the way he was at the moment?

The audience held its breath as Poliwhirl bombarded Salazzle with Waterfall. It had managed to throw up a barrier with Protect for the first assault, but as soon as it failed, the result was predictable. Guzma looked around and rolled his eyes. The citizens of Iki Town were unaccustomed to such heated battles; normally they were the starting point for a trainer's journey, not the end.

Guzma, however did not hold his breath for Plumeria. He saw that smirk on her face, and he mirrored it on his own. "You gonna show me how you've raised that Mareanie of yours, Plumes?" he muttered intently. "It had better be a Toxapex by now if you wanna stand a chance. And if it is, the battle is a dead heat. If you picked the right moves, you can win it." Kukui just stared in further awe at Guzma's analysis, even more so when a Toxapex emerged from her Pokeball. "Now, Hala's gonna use his Z-move because he can't go a damn battle without using it. Won't matter much on Toxapex, but if Plumeria brought her Poisinium and reciprocates, that tips the scales…" The next two moves were exactly as he said. Toxapex then landed a poison jab, only to be countered by Payback. "Tch, the only move Poliwrath's got that can seriously threaten her."

"Will she make it?" By this point Kukui was ready to believe any prediction Guzma came up with.

"Depends on this next move. It will decide everything. The question is, what other moves did she teach it…"

The answer was Recover, and as soon as she announced it, the white light emanating from her Pokemon's body, Guzma whooped unashamedly. "You've got this Plumes, go for the kill!"

And within another turn the battle was over in Plumeria's favor.

Guzma was cheering in stark contrast to the polite clapping of the rest of the villagers. He knew they were in shock at the turn of events, that they'd underestimated his best friend. In fact, he was the only one cheering with the exception of one female-sounding voice. Wait… His eyes darted around, scanning the crowd again more intently. He knew that voice.

There. In the way back, blending in half with the crowd, half with the vegetation, utilizing her talent at being invisible, was Alondra. No wonder he'd missed her with scanning the first time. She was off guard now, and he stared at how happy she was. It was so different from the last time he'd seen her, and the brave little smile she'd put on when they'd parted. It made him inexplicably happy that she was so invested in cheering on Plumeria. He left Kukui's side without a word, not parting the people of the crowd as much as they parted to give him room. She wasn't so caught up in her joy that she didn't notice. Her eyes met his and widened nervously. Shoot. Was he scowling as he often was, freaking her out? It made him double-check his own expression as he arrived in front of her.

"Ya came," he observed simply, stuffing his cast-less hand in his pocket, and feeling vexed he couldn't do the same with the other.

Alondra blushed. "I know she's mad at me for what I did, but…I've wanted to see her win this battle since I got to know her a week ago. I want her to have everything she couldn't have before, and…" She stopped, ducking her head. "No, I'm sorry. It is not my place."

He didn't know what possessed him just then, but the hand in his pocket left in search of her wrist. "Come on over here. Let's show her her fan club together, huh?" Before the shy girl could react, she was being dragged back to Guzma's spot next to Kukui. They arrived just in time to see Plumeria imitating Hala's Normalium activation technique. When the professor noted Alondra's presence, his eyebrows raised.

"Alondra? Glad to see you. You here to support Plumeria?" She just nodded meekly.

"Don't let her fool ya, she was makin' a fine racket when the match was decided," Guzma added pointedly. When she looked at his face for a sign, the corner of his mouth turned upwards slightly, but just enough that she could tell. The tension in her shoulders eased somewhat as she gave a small smile of her own.

"I may have gotten a bit carried away…it was a great match!"

"I couldn't agree more. What incredible moves on both sides! And even more amazing, Guzma calling them ten steps before they happened!"

Now it was Guzma's turn to go red in the face. "Jeesh, more like five, don't go crazy exaggerating!"

"I believe it. He's an awesome battler! He should really take on the Battle Tree!"

If it was possible, the shade of red on his face turned even deeper at her sincere assessment. "I've got Po Town to fix!"

All smiles faded at the memory of the task before Guzma and Team Skull. "True. But then you'd have something to look forward to afterwards, right?"

"Yer always such an optimist. Ugh." Guzma rolled his eyes, regaining control of the conversation.

Just then, Plumeria interrupted them. "Hey Guz, heard you screaming for me. Was it good?" The young woman was descending the stairs of the platform, blocking out anyone else in the sea of slowly dispersing people. Even slouching, the tall, black-clad Guzma was easy to find.

"Plumes, it was the bomb!" Guzma held out a fist to fist-bump her, only to hiss in pain when he realized he'd forgotten about his stitches. She shook her head, but still grinned. "Ya owe Toxapex some Pokebeans."

"For sure. He was clutch!"

"That was definitely a killer battle Plumeria. Congrats on finishing your Grand Trial!" Kukui interjected, beaming his typical goofy expression.

"Thanks, Prof. For coming out here to watch and all that."

Finally, she noticed Alondra, who was shrinking behind Guzma to avoid scrutiny. Plumeria's yellow eyes narrowed. "And I suppose you came to watch too?"

"Y-yeah. I couldn't not support you! I was cheering for you the whole way!" Alondra attempted lamely.

Plumeria stared for a moment, reading all the nerves in the girl's features, the insecurity of her body language. "Is that so?"

"Her cheering was second only to me, Plumes," Guzma informed, casting his friend a look.

After another awkward moment, Plumeria sighed. "Thanks. I know it took guts to show up. I'll catch up with you later, okay? I've got to get my team to the Pokemon Center."

"Okay!" she blurted, nodding vigorously. Smirking yet again, Plumeria turned and left the group, the area now cleared of any traffic. It felt like a weight had been lifted, even just a little bit. Maybe, just maybe, tomorrow could be a normal day.


	13. Chapter 13: Winds of Change

_Author's Note_ : So, true confessions, part of my anxiety is my irrational inability to finish any kind of project that has sat for a long time (like, hey, this thing has timed out, you're a horrible person who hasn't gotten it done, let's pretend it hasn't happened...). Coming back to do the final chapter has seemed like a monumental task for me even though it shouldn't have been. Still, how could I not persevere with all the positive feedback this story has gotten? I had to do it for you guys! This might be of a bit lower standard, but I hope it gives you closure. The important part was me just finally doing it. Enjoy!

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He could have easily missed her, little more than a silhouette standing silent and motionless in the dark just off of Route 1. Her slender form leaned against the guardrail, and her back was turned from the path so she could look out over the sea. Alondra, he'd come to realize, had a talent for making herself disappear. Why, just that afternoon she'd slipped away unnoticed as Plumeria's battle had drawn to a close. Guzma had simply turned to make a comment to Kukui only to find her gone when he'd turned around. The only reason he'd noticed her at all this time around was because he'd been thinking of standing in that same spot as he had done many years ago, only to find it already occupied by another.

Guzma's brow furrowed. This was a complication. Now what? It would be easiest to just keep walking, as it didn't seem that she'd heard his approach. It would certainly spare him the awkwardness of trying to be sociable. If he were being honest, he'd felt some relief to find she'd vanished that afternoon so he didn't have to make small talk. They may have come to know some deep secrets about each other, but it wasn't like they were really friends. Or did that somehow make them friends by default?

He almost took a step to keep going along the path, leaving her in her contemplation, but at that moment, he saw more than heard her sigh, accompanied by the hanging of her head. That looked all too familiar to pass up.

"Hey, ain't it kinda dangerous to be out here at night?"

She jumped and gave a startled gasp as she whipped around to find Guzma with his one hand shoved in his pocket. "I…what are you…?"

The ex-Skull leader shrugged with a smirk, amused by her reaction. "Just clearin' my head."

"So, isn't it dangerous for you too?"

"Nah, I'm Big Bad Guzma." At that, he cocked his head with an air of confidence that came as a practiced habit, even though they both knew now what an act it truly was.

She couldn't help it. A hand flew to her mouth as she stifled a small giggle. "I'm sorry, I know it's not funny, but you standing there like that with the cast on your arm…you'll hardly be able to shoo away the Pikipeks!"

If pretty much any other human being had made that comment, he would have put on a sour expression and said something snarky in retort. However, the very idea that Alondra was teasing him! And for whatever reason, he could feel his ears grow hot. Thank Arceus that it was so dark! His eyes darted down to look at the cast in question, and when he noticed the cutesy signature on it his blush only intensified. "So, what are ya doin' out here anyways?" he demanded, doing his best to brush off whatever…THAT was.

Her fragile smile disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. "I thought maybe the fresh air would help me think clearly." She left it there, but his pointed glance prompted her to continue. "I have to figure out what I'm going to do, and I still don't know."

"What, now that you're done with the Island Challenge?" Guzma took a cautious step closer, and when she didn't seem to flinch or draw away, he took yet another long stride until he was peering down at her conflicted face.

Alondra nodded somberly. "I'm an adult now, but I just can't tell where I'm going with the rest of my life. Kukui sent a message last night that he got word back from the Pokemon Daycare on Akala, and he's going to meet with me in the morning to discuss the details."

"So, you DO have a plan," Guzma stated, sounding a bit confused.

"Why am I not excited?!" Alondra turned back towards the bay and resumed her position of leaning on the guardrail, as if hoping the waves would send her the answer.

"Well, it's better than doin' nothin', right? Unless you have a different idea and you're tryin' to decide between 'em…" Guzma came up next to her and moved to brace himself on the railing, only to remember that he couldn't in his condition. He huffed in frustration.

There was a long moment of silence, where only the gentle crashing of the waves on the shore could be heard. "There is something," she finally admitted quietly. "But no one is going think it's a good idea. They'll say I'm being ridiculous for even thinking about it."

"Well, screw 'em! If they get between you and the thing ya need to do to give yourself a reason to get up in the morning, then they don't matter."

Alondra looked up wistfully into his face, and he could suddenly feel his stomach twist. "It must be nice to always know what you want. You're lucky that way, Guzma."

He scratched his undercut nervously. "Or just obsessed. People have told me that."

"But by your logic, we don't really care what they say." He was rewarded again with that small smile.

"Nah." They fell into silence again, though this time the tension seemed to dissipate.

"So, why did you come out here?"

Damn. He had been hoping she'd forget to ask… "Nanu's comin' tomorrow. I'm off to Po Town in the morning. Gotta get my head on straight is all."

"I see. The grunts will be happy to see you! They've been working hard to start picking up the place."

"Hope I can still recognize the place. Shit, I can't wait to go home." He froze, realizing in horror the vulnerable statement he had just made.

"I can attest to the fact that your throne is still waiting for its rightful owner. I know you'll feel much better as soon as you get there." That serene expression on her face put him at ease even more than the lull of the ocean.

"Right. Well, speaking of home, it's time ya got going. Yer ma will worry if ya stay out too late."

"You're probably right. I…thank you, Guzma. For stopping and…listening." Alondra brushed past him quickly to hide her embarrassment. "I'll see you in the morning. He's coming up to Iki Town, right?"

"Oh no." Guzma marched back to her side, towering over her. "First, I've gotta make sure ya get home. Come on." And he took off in the direction of her house, not daring to look back at her flustered face.

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It had taken her an hour or so to make sure everything was in order. She was used to living out of a bag during the Island Challenge, so it wasn't a huge deal. Also, if she needed something she could always page a Charizard to bring her back home. Now, the only thing she had to bring was her guts. Already she could feel her stomach churning with nervousness.

Zipping up the final pocket, she slung the bag over her shoulder and exited her room. Who knew when she would be back? Then again, what did it even matter? This wasn't home to her; Fuschia was her home and she had yet to find a new one. Maybe on this journey she would.

Her mother sat at the kitchen table skimming through a Pokemon contest magazine. When she looked up to see her daughter, she blinked in surprise. "Alondra, are you going away for a while?" Alondra couldn't believe the ease with which she asked this question. Given her latest episode, she expected a far more worried approach.

"Mom, will you walk with me to Iki Town? I want to explain it to everyone."

"Wait, so this isn't about going to Akala?" Ah, that was why she hadn't been concerned at first. That might change pretty soon.

"Like I said, please walk with me?"

"Of course. Let me get my shoes on." Her mother rose from the table and hurried to where her shoes lay on the rug next to the door. All the while, she kept her eyes fixed on her daughter. "Am I going to be okay with this announcement? You're not running off to elope with some guy from the internet or anything, right?"

Alondra had to snort at that. "No, mother, it's nothing that drastic. Lets go."

And so the mother and daughter hiked the trail to Iki Town, sharing few words. There wasn't much to say besides what she planned on telling everyone else, and she felt bad for withholding it from her mother until then. Still, that would make the final declaration much easier, and she needed it to be easier.

When they arrived, there was the predicted mob outside of Hala's lodge. Nanu and Hala were standing off to the side, Hala's cheery grin contrasted by Nanu's serious frown as they discussed some matter of business. Plumeria was standing with Guzma and Kukui, giving her version of farewell: a slap on the back and a rough tousle of his mop of hair. Perhaps it was just her anxiety, but it sure seemed as if both groups stopped what they were doing as soon as they saw her approach. To be fair, they probably weren't expecting her to give a farewell to Guzma.

"Alola, cousin. Did you come to talk about your internship? We were just seeing off Guzma, and then we can head back to my lab to look at the paperwork," Kukui supplied, stepping forward.

Alondra swallowed. She took a deep breath. She shook her head. "Professor, I am grateful for your help in lining up the internship, but…I'm afraid I'm going to have to back out."

Everyone looked at her in stunned silence, save for one. Guzma grinned and flashed a thumbs up. This both encouraged her and caught her off guard. Was he pleased that she was taking his advice, or was he pleased that the timid girl was rebelling? Either way, he wouldn't be prepared for the next part.

"Perhaps I'll pursue it in another year or so, but right now I feel called to do something else. I haven't felt this drawn to anything since I first held Popplio in my arms. I made a promise, and I intend to stand by it." With those words, realization dawned on both Plumeria and Nanu, lessening the impact of the final words. "I'm going to Po Town to help them rebuild." Alondra exhaled deeply. "That's all I needed to say."

"But Alondra-" Kukui started to protest, only for Guzma to step on his foot. The warning look he gave the professor silenced him. Alondra wondered what he himself was thinking, but he was always so hard to read… At the moment, his expression was blank.

It was her mother who articulated her thoughts first. "Alondra sweetie, are you sure this is what you want to do?"

Alondra turned to face her mother sheepishly. "I'm sure I'm sure. It's kind of a weird feeling…"

Mrs. Santos sighed, then reached over to wrap her daughter in an embrace. "Then that is what you should do. Just…make sure you call me a few times a week? Take care of yourself, stay out of trouble, let me know if you need ANYTHING…"

"Thanks, mom. For everything." Alondra squeezed back, then broke away, nervously gripping the straps of her backpack. "So, is it time to go?"

"Hell yeah!" Guzma's exclamation broke the gravity of the moment, bringing the smiles back to everyone's faces (even stoic Nanu quirked the corners of his mouth, and that counted for something). He sauntered over to Alondra. "Ya sure ya packed everything? We ain't stoppin' at Malie to go shopping! Toothbrush, bunny slippers…"

Alondra dug into her heavy pocket and pulled out her treasure, holding it out towards him. "Lucky Dawnstone…"

That shut him up real quickly. "Yeah, okay, guess ya thought of everything then." And he slunk behind Plumeria, who rolled her eyes. Then, it was her turn to approach Alondra.

Roughly, she folded the girl's hands over the stone. "You'd better take good care of that. As long as you do, I've got no issue with you."

Alondra swallowed. "Okay."

Plumeria quirked an eyebrow. "And you know that's a metaphor, right?"

"Yep."

Finally, the trainer burst out laughing. "Cripes, Alondra, you look like you're standing in front of the firing squad! It's all good, got it?"

Finally, Alondra seemed to relax. "Got it. Are you coming with us?"

"For a few days, just to make sure those slouches pull their weight."

"Umm, how's that gonna work exactly with a cast on one arm and stitches in the other?" Guzma interjected in protest.

"Don't worry, Guzma, we'll find work for you to do." This time, Nanu's smile was prominent, albeit tinged with mischief.

"Most importantly my boy, take care of yourself." Hala grabbed him and pulled him into a bear hug before he could protest, though still being careful of his arms. Then, Alondra was next. "And you, take care of yourself too. Sometimes you need to put yourself first, do you understand?"

"Yessir." She ducked her head like a scolded child.

"I'll make sure she does, Old Man." Guzma made the promise with such ease, she could hardly believe her ears, or still the flutter of her heart

"That's what I like to hear. Now, go. The winds are in your favor. Safe travels!"

It took a few minutes to get poor Guzma loaded onto the Charizard, but before long they were soaring in the sky above Melemele. The winds of Alola had brought change all those weeks ago on the Hau'oli Beachfront, so who was to say that they wouldn't bring more change now as they lifted the quartet in the air? On they went, towards Po Town. Maybe, just maybe, towards home.

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So, again, I'd like to thank everyone who has supported this. It started out as me trying to establish a headcannon for Guzma looking at all the evidence provided and assembling it into a coherent backstory, but it's become so much more. It was also the riskiest thing I've ever written for the topics it dealt with (depression, attempted suicide, self-harm, etc.), and I'm so relieved it has gone over well with you, the readers. THANK YOU for your kind words and favs.

In the future, I'd like to do one more linking piece showing how Guzma became kahuna, but we'll see how it goes!


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